Cat and Mouse
by AveryGrace824
Summary: This is it – Stefan has been ordered to bring Elena to Klaus and in a last ditch effort to save her, Damon takes her and runs.  Set post 3x06, but before Mason makes his appearance.
1. Roadtrip With A Purpose

**Summary:** This is it – Stefan has been ordered to bring Elena to Klaus and in a last ditch effort to save her, Damon takes her and runs. Set post 3x06, but before Mason makes his appearance.

**A/N:** Hey, so this is my first Delena fic (those two belong together!); I'm still kind of new, so let me know what you think!

**Disclaimer: **Obviously, I don't own TVD or any of its characters. If I did, Damon would have a steamy shower scene in every episode!

Chapter 1: Roadtrip With A Purpose

Damon was beyond pissed.

He'd trusted Katherine with one thing. One thing! Wake up Mikael, and she couldn't even do that! He replayed in his head the conversation he'd overheard this morning between Stefan and Klaus on the phone. Klaus had a safe house set up and wanted Stefan to bring Elena tonight. Damon knew if he didn't act fast, he'd never see her again.

Elena was still at school and Damon was frantically scrounging through her drawers, filling the suitcase with whatever his hands touched. While he packed, he tried Katherine once more, only to find it went straight to voicemail… again. Damon just rolled his eyes and zipped up the suitcase.

He replayed the plan Stefan had outlined with Rebekah and if he stuck to it, Stefan wouldn't come for Elena until after she'd gone to bed that night, which would mean nobody would be looking for her until the morning. He was more than a little surprised that he'd been able to eavesdrop at all.

Making his way to the car, Damon stared at his phone before calling the one person he knew he could count on in a crisis, even if that person hated him right now.

"Ric, just the vampire hunter I needed to talk to."

Elena sat scowling in the passenger seat of Stefan's car. She still couldn't believe he'd allowed Rebekah to steal her SUV, and she certainly didn't want to be here with this cold, emotionless imitation of the man she'd once loved.

"Pout all you want; it's not like I want to be here either," he taunted her.

"Why are you suddenly against me driving myself," she asked.

"I couldn't risk letting Klaus' valuable asset get in a car wreck now could I?"

Elena rolled her eyes and fumed in her seat, watching the trees and houses fly by. After eight hours with him at school she couldn't wait to be rid of him and found herself wishing he would drive just a little faster.

"We could at least talk; it is the polite thing to do," Stefan offered. Instead of responding with one of the many cutting remarks she'd come up with, Elena kept her mouth shut and turned up the volume on the radio.

"Fine," Stefan muttered, smirking at how sensitive humans could be.

Once they finally pulled up in front of her house, Elena had her door open before the car was even stopped. She yanked her backpack from the floorboard and slammed the door with as much force as she could muster.

"Are you sure you don't want me to walk you to the door," Stefan offered. In response, Elena just ignored him, throwing the front door open and shutting it forcefully behind her. She gritted her teeth to stop the tears from spilling and dropped her backpack at the foot of the stairs, making her way to the kitchen.

But before she'd taken two steps, strong arms grabbed her from behind; a hand covering her mouth and the other arm wrapping around her waist. Just as she started to struggle, the world around her blurred and she found her back against the wall and her eyes staring directly into Damon's ice blue ones. He moved his arm from her waist and raised a finger to his lips, silently instructing her to keep quiet, before slowly removing the hand from her mouth.

They remained that way, with his body pinned against hers until Damon heard Stefan's car pull away. He blurred to the window, making sure he was really gone, before turning back to face Elena.

"What's going on," she whispered, noticing Damon's murderous glare. Anything that had Damon this rattled was never good.

"Follow me," he instructed, brushing past her on his way to the back door.

"Wait," Elena called, grabbing his arm. "What's going on?"

"Trust me," was his only response. The smile he gave her was his typical snarky Damon smile, but his eyes held a vulnerability that begged for her trust. That one look stole all the words Elena had thought to utter and instead she only nodded.

She followed him outside and to her surprise, he'd parked his car directly behind her house so it wasn't visible from the street.

"Get in," he told her, while sliding into the driver's seat and starting the car.

"Damon..."

"For once, can we please just do this my way," he asked, leaning over to lock eyes with her through the passenger window. After half a second of thought, Elena climbed into the car and watched as her house and her street blurred into the distance.

"Alright Damon, you've got me in the car, now what's going on," Elena asked.

"Stefan's been ordered to bring you to Klaus; he'd planned on taking you tonight," he told her.

Elena felt as if she'd had the breath knocked out of her. This was it; Klaus would take her away and she'd never see her friends or her brother again… or Damon. At the last thought she stole at glance at his somber face beside her. She hadn't realized how much she needed him until he'd left that day with Katherine. Somehow, he'd become a vital part of her life; a part that she couldn't live without. She knew Caroline had been right, she'd known of her feelings for a long time, though she'd hid them well. And now after everything they'd been though together… how was she going to live without _him_?

"What do we do," she asked, her voice breaking from the tears that had started to fall.

"What we should have done in the first place. Run."

Elena searched his face for any sign that he was joking, but there was no humor to be found.

"We can't just run, what about Jeremy, Bonnie, Caroline? We can't just leave them here!" She knew Klaus would kill everyone she loved for crossing him; Damon couldn't be serious.

"Relax, I called daddy Ric, he's on the job." As if on cue, Damon's phone rang in his pocket.

"Ah, Ric, how's your day."

"Did you get Elena," Alaric asked, anxiety coloring his tone.

"Oh, I got her," he exclaimed in a sultry voice, eyeing Elena seductively. She slapped his arm and fixed him with her best intimidating glare.

"We don't have time for this, Damon," Alaric growled into the phone.

"Yes, she's right here beside me and we're on our way out of town."

"Good, I'm going with Bonnie and Jeremy; we're heading back to Mikael. Maybe Bonnie will have better luck waking him than Katherine did."

"Well, good luck with that," Damon drawled. Elena shook his arm, begging him for news. He ignored her, but asked his next question for her benefit.

"What about vampire Barbie and the wolf-boy? Klaus is probably expecting him too."

"Caroline and Matt are going to try and persuade him to leave town with them, but if that doesn't work, she's prepared to vervain him."

"Sounds great," Damon threw in, sounding uninterested. "Listen, I'll call you later, but I don't think it's a good idea to tell you where we're going."

"Yeah, about that; I'm not so sure keeping our cells is the best idea. How long until Klaus decides to compel a cop to run a trace or something," Alaric explained. In all honesty, the thought had never occurred to Damon, but then again, cell phones hadn't exactly been "all the rage" when he was a kid.

"Good idea."

"I have a small cabin in the mountains of West Virginia, my uncle left it to me; why don't we meet there in a week. I can text you the location," Alaric suggested.

"Sounds like a plan," Damon responded before ending the call.

"Well," Elena demanded.

"Alaric's tagging along with Jeremy and the witch to find Mikael; Matt, Caroline, and her pet hybrid are running off together."

"Bonnie and Jeremy are going after Mikael," Elena asked, incredulously.

"And Ric, weren't you listening? They'll be fine," he reassured her.

Elena rested her head against the back of the seat and attempted to calm her nerves. But after several deep breaths, she still wasn't any less nervous. Seeing her discomfort, Damon reached over and took her hand in his.

"Everything will be okay, Elena. I promise, I won't let anything hurt you." Elena turned to him and smiled at his sincere face. All the love he had for her was gazing back through his eyes and her stomach filled with butterflies. Damon had always caused a reaction in her, be it good or bad, but lately, every touch, every gesture was significant and seemed to light her skin on fire.

As he leaned in closer, her heart rate picked up, this time in anticipation instead of fear, and just as she was sure he was about to kiss her, his head whipped back to the road.

Apparently, due to a distraction named Elena, he'd accidently let the car wonder into the other lane. He swerved the car just in time to miss a head on collision, the blaring of horns questioning his sanity.

Damon kept his eyes glued to the road as the embarrassment and shock of what had almost happened made him want to kick himself. In his last hundred or so years of driving, he'd never once had an accident; and then Elena comes along…

Elena on the other hand was trying to hide her chuckle at Damon's discomfort. She watched as he gripped the steering wheel tighter and muttered near silent curses; honestly, she couldn't remember ever seeing him _embarrassed_ before. The humor she found at his expense was making her feel lighter than she'd felt in a long time.

"You know, you could have at least let me pack some cloths," she insisted, taking his mind off the near accident and saving the steering wheel in the process.

"Got it covered, your suitcase is all loaded. I even selected the best panties for the trip," he smirked, recovering his flirty charm.

"Damon," Elena exclaimed, flushing a deep red.

"Would you rather be without them?"

Elena narrowed her eyes at him and went back to staring out the window.

"So where are we going exactly," she asked.

"Well, we have to be in West Virginia in a week, but I thought about Atlanta for the time being."

"Georgia again," Elena chuckled.

"What, we had fun in Georgia."

"We did." They shared a small smile at the memory and Damon took her hand again. Just then, his phone beeped; a message from Alaric with the address he needed.

"Here, right this address down."

Elena was about to protest due to the lack of writing utensils when Damon nodded in the direction of the back seat. As she turned, she saw he'd brought her purse along and began digging through it for a pen and paper, quickly jotting down the address.

"Can I see your phone," he asked, holding his hand out expectantly. Elena thought it suspicious, but dug her phone out of her back pocket and handed it over. Damon snatched his phone out of Elena's other hand and chucked them both out the open window.

"DAMON!"

"Ric thought it was a good idea if we didn't keep our phones. You know, CSI and all that." Elena let out a frustrated sigh and calmed herself before speaking to him.

"You could have at least asked first."

"Now where would the fun in that be," he joked.

Rebekah sat in the room she'd finally finished remodeling to her tastes, playing with the new cell phone she'd just acquired. In truth, the only thing about this current decade that had amazed her more than this tiny device was Stefan's computer. Anything you could every want to know, right at your fingertips. Incredible!

She jumped as her phone began ringing in her hand, a long number flashing on the screen.

"Now, let's see… green button…Uh, Hello?"

"We found her Miss, though she wasn't easy to find," came the male voice on the other end of the phone.

"Perfect! Tell her that I need to see her right away."

"She's already on her way ma'am."

"Good," she exclaimed before searching for the red button to end the call. She sat her phone to the side and allowed a longing look of nostalgia cross her face. Rebekah hadn't seen her old friend in centuries… but something had to be done.

Although she enjoyed the fact that Stefan was no longer pining after Elena, she hated the way he looked at her, the way he made fun of her, as if she were a silly school girl. At least before the compulsion she could see the real emotion in his eyes, and that was something she could work with.

Rebekah might have been ruthless and vengeful, but after a millennia of being a vampire, that little switch in her head had long since stopped working… the switch that made killing easier, and made missing her family just a bad memory. More than anything she missed her big brother, the caring one who would have done anything to protect her. Where had he gone?

This "Klaus" wasn't the Nik she used to love. But maybe if her friend could bring Stefan back, she could bring Nik back as well.

If she had any prayers left in her, this one would be loud enough to wake the dead.

After hours of driving, Damon pulled off the highway and into a small neighborhood in southern North Carolina.

"What are we doing," Elena asked, wondering if they were going to spend the night in one of these huge houses lining the street.

"It's called 'boosting,' wanna give it a try?"

Damon's smirk seemed full of both excitement and danger and Elena wasn't sure which scared her more.

"You mean stealing cars?"

"As much as I love my car, it's too recognizable to Stefan and Klaus. We'd have more luck driving something… inconspicuous."

The logic was working on her… but stealing a car? She sat lost in thought for a moment while the car slowly crept down the street. Finally she let out a long sigh.

"Alright, what do you need me to do?"

"Well, first we need to pick a car we like," Damon instructed, motioning to the cars along the sidewalk.

"Um, I guess it needs to be a car that blends in, right? What about that one?" Elena pointed to a beige sedan of some sort that just stated boring.

"Oh no, no, no! I will not be seen in that!" Damon's face was outraged and Elena fought the urge to bust out in laughter.

"Okay then, what do you suggest?"

"That one."

Elena followed his excited gaze to a black Mercedes with tinted windows. It was a sleek two-seater that screamed _fast_.

"Alright, now what?"

"Well, I guess you could go seduce the owner into letting us take his car?" Elena's jaw nearly hit the ground at the audacity of such a request and in response to her shocked face, Damon burst into a round of laughter.

"Aren't we just supposed to pick the lock or something?"

"Is that actually something you know how to do?"

"No… hey, I've never aspired to be a criminal, so why would I ever need to know that?" Damon's eyes danced with humor as he took in her uncomfortable exterior.

"It's a good thing I'm here then. Why don't we try something simpler, like… compulsion."

Elena was about to protest, but honestly, they were already stealing the car, did it matter if they used a little mind manipulation.

Damon pulled in behind the sexy car and proceeded to walk up to the front door, Elena at his heels. The knock was answered in a matter of seconds and the middle aged man before them wore a look of stark confusion as to why these two young adults would be at his doorstep.

"Hi, whoever you are… we need you to do us a little favor," Damon began. At first the man looked as if he was about to protest, but then he locked eyes with Damon and his face went slack.

"You're going to trade cars with us, and then you're gonna take a little joy ride up through Tennessee in your new Camaro."

After a few moments, the man seemed to come back to himself and a broad smile came across his face.

"Would you like me to help you transfer your bags over to the Mercedes," he offered.

"That would most helpful."

Elena gazed around nervously at the surrounding houses in the neighborhood, afraid someone would sense their deceitfulness and come after them, but the yards were deserted and her growling stomach let her know that it was past supper time.

_There better be food somewhere in this road trip!_

Stefan strolled casually up to Elena's house; an air of excitement in his step. He couldn't wait to kiss this godforsaken town goodbye. His bags were packed and all that was left was to snatch Elena and hit the road. He paused just outside the house to ensure there was no movement before leaping up to Elena's window and letting himself in.

If he'd still had a beating heart it would have stopped in that moment.

Elena wasn't there. Her room looked as if it had been ransacked and when he checked her closet he found it almost empty. He slammed the door, the force causing it to split in half, sending little shards of wood about the room. Stefan moved through the shared bathroom into Jeremy's room and found his bed just as empty. Extending his senses, he noted that there was a lack of breathing coming from Alaric's room down the hall. That could only mean one thing.

Damon!

Filled with rage, Stefan dialed Rebekah's number.

"She's gone," he growled as soon as he heard the phone connect.

"So is Tyler; I'm blaming the blond slut."

"We need to pursue Elena first; Klaus will have our heads if we return without her. Meet me at the boarding house."

Before she could respond he hung up, already halfway home, contemplating ways to kill his brother every step of the way.

After a quick supper from a greasy fast food joint, Elena had passed out in the passenger seat. Damon alternated between focusing on the empty road and watching her sleep. Seeing her angelic face safe and secure in the seat beside him made him feel warmer than he'd felt in months. He'd already vowed countless times over not to let anything happen to her, and as he felt her limp hand still held tightly in his, that resolve doubled.

Once inside the city limits, he searched for a decent looking hotel, not very concerned with luxury at the moment. As he pulled in, he was torn between waking Elena and just letting her sleep.

He opted for waking her and leaned over to trace his fingers down her face.

"Elena, wake up, we're here," he whispered, his face directly over hers. He didn't realize how close their heads were until she woke up and tilted her face, brushing their lips together.

Damon froze.

"Damon… what time is it," she asked, clearly not realizing what she'd just done.

"Just after midnight," he responded, a little breathless.

He opened her door for her and helped her out, not sure she could really walk straight in her current state of being half asleep. Damon watched her as she stretched, eyes roaming down all of her curves before he shoved his hands in his pockets, not trusting himself, and started walking in the direction of the front desk.

"A bed," Elena exclaimed as they stepped through the door to the room and she threw herself at the mattress. She wasn't at all surprised that Damon had accepted a room with only one bed.

"Doesn't take a lot to impress you; guess that's why you went for Stefan first," Damon jibbed, earning him an eye roll. Elena jumped off the bed and proceeded to turn on the lamps, giving the room a friendlier look.

"I'll go get the bags. Keep this locked until I get back," he ordered firmly before closing the door behind him. Elena immediately did as she was told and locked the deadbolt. She flipped on the TV, but before she'd even begun to scroll through the short list of channels, Damon's voice came through the door and she jumped up to let him in. The sight of Damon carrying two suitcases and her purse through the door, coupled with Elena's state of exhaustion, pushed her over the edge and she nearly doubled over with laughter.

"Something funny," Damon asked, shutting the door.

"I'd give you a tip if you weren't so rude," she joked.

"You've got your stuff, why don't you take the shower first; you _need_ it." He smirked back at her shocked expression, but seemed pleased at how relaxed appeared.

"Fine; just hope I don't use all the hot water," she threw back, while digging through her suitcase for pajamas.

"In that case, we could always share the shower," he suggested, waggling his eyebrows at her. Elena only rolled her eyes, taking her bathroom essentials with her and locking the door behind her. Damon chuckled and removed his shirt and pants, getting comfortable on to the bed. He flipped through the various channels, finding nothing of interest and settling on some mindless sitcom. In truth, the thought of Elena in the shower was making it hard for him to concentrate on the TV.

Elena emerged moments later in PJ's and froze when she saw Damon stretched out on the bed in his boxers.

"Like what you see," he asked in a seductive voice and Elena had to blink to make sure she wasn't just dreaming.

"Uh, the, uh, shower's ready," she said, throwing a hand back towards the direction of the bathroom. _Come on, Elena_, she told herself,_ it's not like you haven't seen him in less._

Damon jumped off the bed and made his way towards her, making sure to brush her arm on the way to the shower. Elena shook her head and started towards the bed when she heard the shower start before the door closed.

"Aren't you going to shut the door?"

"I hate it when the bathroom gets all steamy, don't you? Besides, you might need to get in."

Was Elena imagining the double meaning in his words? She took a deep breath before crawling under the sheets and trying to focus her attention on anything other than Damon in the shower. She turned the lights off and found a comfortable position in the bed, but still couldn't get to sleep. The shower turned off and moments later she felt the bed move as Damon crawled in beside her.

He just watched her for a minute, facing away from him and then rolled over. They both drifted off to sleep; their feet unconsciously tangling together.

Elena woke first the next morning feeling more rested than she'd been in a very long time. She realized with a start that someone's arm was wrapped around her, clutching her hand, and that a firm body was pressed up against hers. Gazing around the room, she quickly remembered where she was… and that the body in question was Damon's! She was about to protest, but the security she felt while snuggled in his arms was not something she wanted to give up quite yet. As she shifted a little his arm tightened around her and she felt his face against her neck.

And then a horn blaring outside finally woke him. Damon took in his position of being wrapped around Elena and also noticed that she was awake.

"Sorry," he muttered, while disentangling himself. She rolled over to face him.

"Good morning," she mumbled.

"Morning."

Their eyes stayed locked as they laid there beside each other, unable to tear them apart. Suddenly, Elena realized that she'd forgotten to breath and her quick intake of breath broke the moment.

"Didn't the hotel sign say something about continental breakfast," Elena asked shakily.

"Uh, yeah. Why don't you get dressed and I'll go see what they have."

Damon quickly threw on his cloths and grabbed the ice bucket, fleeing the room before he acted on instinct and did something Elena would regret.

He made his way to the ice machine first and just as he opened the lid, he felt a presence behind him. Whirling around, he came face to face with a sight that made his stomach drop.

"Well, well, fancy meeting you here," Rebekah droned, a beatific smile lighting her face.

**A/N:** So, there it is. Can Damon and Elena escape Rebekah and will Bonnie be able to work with Mikael? Let me know good/bad/okay. I know there are a lot of roadtrip fics out there with these two, but I've just been dying for Damon to take her and run.


	2. Inexplicable Feelings

**A/N:** I'd like to apologize for taking so long to update; we had a really busy weekend. Thank you to all the reviewers for taking the time to let me know what you think! You guys are wonderful!

Chapter 2: Inexplicable Feelings

Elena dressed quickly and took a moment to brush through the tangles in her hair. Once she was presentable, she glanced around the room looking for something to do… anything, and settled for folding the clothes she'd thrown on the ground last night. She just had to get Damon off her mind, but it didn't help that her skin still tingled where he'd held her last night… his hand holding hers… the feel of his breath as it slid across her neck…

Stop!

Irritated, she threw the shirt she was working on across the room and turned her mind to more important things. Like Jeremy; had they gotten away as easily as she and Damon had? And what about Caroline, Tyler, and Matt? They couldn't run forever; maybe they shouldn't be running now.

And then an odd sensation pulled her from all thoughts of her friends and family.

It was really more of a feeling… a feeling of horror, that something had gone terribly wrong and she had to protect the ones she loved. But somehow she knew they weren't her feelings, they were Damon's!

She remembered feeling this before, once in the woods of Tennessee when Damon led the wolf away and once in Chicago, when Damon was distracting Klaus for her. But those times she'd known he was in danger; now… there was no reason for her to assume that. So why the feelings?

Instead of sitting around with her questions, Elena pulled her shoes on and bolted from the room.

"Did you know that airplanes get you here faster than driving," Rebekah asked.

"How did you know we were in Georgia?"

"Stefan had a hunch. This was only the third hotel we've been to today."

_Does that mean Stefan's here too?_ Damon immediately knew he needed to get back to Elena. But how would he take on an original vampire and his brother?

"So, where is Stefan now? Tapping a vein from room service?"

Rebekah smirked, seeming completely at ease.

"He dropped me off; thought if we checked two hotels at a time, we'd find you faster."

As Rebekah turned her head to look out across the parking lot, Damon took his opportunity and rushed her, slamming her back into the opposite wall, preparing to slam his fist through her chest.

But she was faster.

She pulled the stake from her jacket and shoved it in, breaking two of Damon's ribs and barely grazing his heart. Damon stumbled back against the ice bin and carefully ripped the stake from his chest.

"I told you Damon, a fight between us will never be fair. Why even bother?"

Feeling around behind him, Damon found the ice shovel and gripped it tightly, hoping for a chance to use it, but knowing that without a distraction, Rebekah would be faster than him.

"Damon!"

Both Rebekah and Damon turned at the familiar voice. Elena had just come into view and was staring in horror at Damon's blood-soaked shirt. Running out of the hotel room like that, she hadn't exactly come prepared, and now she searched frantically for anything to use against Rebekah.

Taking this as his moment, Damon once again rushed Rebekah, but this time drove the shovel into her neck and came very close to decapitating her. She collapsed onto the ground and struggled to remove the weapon just as Damon blurred to Elena's side and threw her into the car, climbing in himself and peeling out of the parking lot.

They only made it a couple miles down the road before Damon found it impossible to drive, the amount of damage done nearly causing him to pass out. He needed blood, and he knew exactly where all the blood bags he'd packed for the trip were… back in the hotel room.

_Room service will be shocked to find that._

Pulling the car over on the side of the road, he only prayed Elena could find the highway herself.

"I need you to drive," he wheezed, pulling Elena onto his lap as he slid over into the passenger seat.

"Damon, are you…"

"Elena, we don't have time for this… you need to drive. Just… find your way… to the highway and… then the airport."

Damon was nearly out of breath by the time he relayed his instructions, but thankfully, Elena did as he said and pulled back onto the road. Reclining the seat back, Damon just hoped he was still conscious when they reached the airport.

"So this is the place," Alaric asked as they made their way to the tomb.

"This is it. How are we supposed to wake Mikael if Katherine couldn't do it," Jeremy wondered, roughly pulling the iron doors open. When Bonnie didn't answer he looked back to see her staring out across the graveyard.

"Hey, you okay?"

"What… oh, yeah; I'm fine," she responded, giving him a small smile.

Alaric cautiously walked into the tomb first, looking for any sign that Katherine was still here. But it was quiet. The lid to the massive stone coffin was slid off in the floor, but when Alaric moved to peer over the edge… it was empty!

"Uh, guys… he's gone!"

"What," Bonnie exclaimed, throwing panicked eyes around the room. The sound of coughing pulled their attention to the dark corner at their right and there they saw Katherine propped up against the wall.

"Katherine… what happened," Jeremy asked, taking a tentative step in her direction. Bonnie jerked his arm back.

"We can't trust her Jer."

"Mikael," Katherine started with a hoarse voice. "Apparently… he drinks the blood of vampires."

The three stood in astonishment at this new revelation. How was that even possible? And where was he now?

"Looking for me?"

They new voice came from behind them and they whirled around to find a newly rejuvenated Mikael standing between them and the exit.

"Now, I'm assuming you're more of the doppelganger's friends and family, correct? The delicious Miss Katherine has already explained that you're quite a determined bunch."

"We were told you could kill Klaus," Alaric spoke up, placing himself slightly in front of Bonnie and Jeremy.

"I can, but first I need to find him. I take it that he's already heard I'm awake?"

"Yes, we're not sure where he went."

Mikael brought one finger to his chin, face alight with speculation. Klaus had eluded him for 1000 years, and he knew it would be easier to lure him out rather than chase him down.

"It would be best if I had something to lure him here. I understand the doppelganger is still alive… where is she now?"

At this everyone was silent, not sure whether to trust this hunter or not. It wasn't like they really knew anything about him. Finally Bonnie built up the courage to speak.

"She's on the run too. Klaus was coming for her."

"Who's she running with; I'm sure a young girl of her age isn't alone."

He was once again met with silence and instead of pulling the answers from them, he blurred over to Katherine who cowered back into the wall. Grabbing her head violently, he brought his fangs down to her face.

"You know her friends, who would she leave with," he asked her.

"Damon; running was probably his plan and he'd keep her with him."

Katherine hadn't shown weakness in 500 years and she hated that a part of her smug façade was breaking in front of him. Throwing her roughly back against the wall, Mikael straightened his shirt and turned for the exit.

"Thank you my dear, that's all I need to know."

And with that, he was gone.

"We have to warn Elena and Damon," Jeremy shouted.

"We can't, no cell phones, remember," Alaric stated in defeat. Maybe his plan wasn't so well thought out.

"We don't need phones, I can send her a message," Bonnie spoke up.

Closing her eyes, she quickly lit the candles in the tomb and then pulled a notepad from her bag. After explaining the Mikael situation on paper, she crumpled it up and pulled out her knife.

"Give me your hand, Jer."

"Wait, what about her," Jeremy asked, eyeing Katherine who looked like a rabid beast after seeing the knife. Alaric knelt down beside her and bringing his hand up as if to help her up, and quickly shoved the vervain dart into her neck. After being weakened already by Mikael, Katherine slumped to the floor.

"Alright, now give me your hand," Bonnie repeated.

Jeremy did as instructed and Bonnie cut into his palm and allowed the blood to drip on the paper. She began her chant and the flames on the candles climbed nearly to the ceiling.

And then it was over.

"It's done. Now let's get out of here."

"I agree with that," Alaric muttered, already halfway to the exit.

"What about Katherine, are we just gonna leave her here," Jeremy asked.

"She's not coming with us," Bonnie protested.

Jeremy looked to Alaric, only to find that he felt the same. After Jeremy's nodded confirmation, Alaric and Bonnie proceeded to the exit and on to the car. Jeremy started to follow, but glanced back at Katherine's motionless form. Laying there in that state, all the callousness gone from her face, she reminded him of his sister. Maybe it was the resemblance, but he just couldn't leave her there.

"Jeremy, you can't take her. You know she can't be trusted," Anna stated from beside him.

"I can't just leave her here; besides, what if she had more information we need. She always knows something more than we do."

Ignoring Anna's constant protests, Jeremy lifted Katherine into his arms and carried her out to the car.

Stefan had returned to pick up Rebekah and was beyond upset to find that Elena and Damon had escaped.

"How could you let them get away? You're an _original_!"

"Did you miss the part where he nearly took my head off?"

Rebekah didn't like this Stefan. The one she loved, although a heartless killer, wouldn't have yelled at her like this.

"Whatever, just get in the car."

As Stefan walked around to the driver's side, Rebekah looked up to see a familiar face staring back at her from across the street. Smiling, she climbed into the car and swiftly slammed Stefan's head against the glass, rendering him unconscious.

"Sorry Stefan, but this is for your own good."

Rebekah slid back out of the car and ran to envelop her long lost friend in a tight hug.

"Ah, Rebekah, I've missed you."

"It's been what, almost 200 years, Jacqueline."

"Yes, and its Jackie now. Real new age, don't you think," the dark-haired girl asked.

"I like it."

"Now, I assume he's the reason you called me?"

Jackie nodded toward Stefan who remained unconscious in the driver's seat. She didn't miss the look of guilt that came into Rebekah's eyes.

"You love him, and I didn't need my gift to tell me that," Jackie stated.

"Yes, but you will need your gift to help me."

"What do you need?"

"Nik compelled him to turn off his emotions. I… I want you to go inside his mind and fix it."

Jackie's eyes filled with remorse as she contemplated the impossible task Rebekah asked of her. She'd released people from vampire compulsion before, but they were human and the vampires in question weren't as strong as Niklaus. She was about to explain her case when she realized people were staring at Stefan, passed out against the window with a thin trickle of blood running down his face.

"We should get somewhere safe and then I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you," Rebekah squealed, grabbing the other girl up in another hug.

Jackie opened the driver's door to move Stefan while Rebekah compelled the bystanders to forget the troublesome sight. Once she had him in the backseat, he started to wake up and when his eyes met hers, he began going into shock.

"E… Elena," he whispered, but quickly corrected himself. As his vision cleared he realized this girl couldn't be Elena or Katherine, but the resemblance was close enough for her them to be… to be…

As Jackie slid the needle into his arm and released the vervain into his system, the last word Stefan had cross his mind was…

_Sisters._

Elena pulled into the airport parking lot and threw worried eyes over to Damon. His eyes were closed and his breathing was labored.

"Damon," Elena whispered, gently caressing his face.

"Huh." Damon turned bleary eyes up to Elena and worked to find the lever to pull his seat up. He bit back a groan at the pain sitting up caused. He had already started healing, but without the blood it was a slow process. He knew if the stake hadn't grazed his heart, it wouldn't have been so bad.

"Damon, you can't go into the airport like this."

"Well what do you suggest; sneaking me onto the plane in a suitcase," he attempted a light laugh, but it came out as a cough.

"You need blood."

"And where am I supposed to get that?"

Elena was torn; she knew he needed blood, but was more than a little frightened to offer her own. This was Damon; he wasn't exactly known for his self-control. She knew he loved her, but would that stop him when he _needed_ the blood.

But as she watched him struggle beside her, she knew there was only one answer in the end.

"Drink mine," she whispered. It was so quiet, he wasn't sure if he'd heard right, even with his enhanced hearing abilities.

"Relax Elena, it's just a scratch. I'm sure no one will notice," he joked, attempting a light smile, which was ruined by his next pained cough.

"Damon, you need it, just take it!"

"Are you sure?"

His eyes burned into hers, looking for any hesitance, but finding none. He knew if he did this, it would take the complication of their relationship to an entirely new level, but it was the only logical choice. And they were running out of time.

He looked at her outstretched wrist, but instead of accepting it, pulled her onto his lap so she was straddling him and removed her jacket.

"What are you doing," she protested, but didn't make any move to fight him.

"You don't think it will look a little weird to people walking by if I'm chewing on your wrist?"

"Well, yeah… but…"

"This way, it just looks like we're getting a little kinky."

Elena opened her mouth to yell at how inappropriate and embarrassing it would be to get caught in that kind of position, but one look into his tired eyes took the fight right out of her. He needed this.

Accepting his choice, she pulled her shirt and bra strap out of the way and tilted her head to the side, giving him better access. Damon pulled her close, so there was no space left between them and brought his lips up to the base of her neck. Instead of biting as she anticipated, he laid gentle kisses up and down her throat. She was surprised when a moan of pleasure escaped her lips.

Suddenly she had the oddest feeling of all. It was unmistakably a strong love coupled with lust, but mixed with something else… something strong. After a moment of clouded thinking, she finally pinpointed what this consuming feeling was… HUNGER!

Damon's hunger!

The feeling of Damon's emotions on top of hers nearly pushed her over the edge right there. And then she felt his teeth slid into her throat; even though he was being gentle, the pain was still there. But it was quickly overshadowed by the pleasure that was emanating from him which had mixed with her own.

He pulled her even closer, if that were possible, and she reached up to grip his shoulders, digging her nails in to keep her from exploding.

And then he pulled away!

"Don't stop," she whispered breathless.

"You want me to drain you dry," Damon chuckled, but was having just as much trouble breathing. Elena realized now that the only feelings she had were her own again, and after a couple deep breaths, she managed to calm herself… at least outwardly.

Damon hadn't understood her reaction at all; sure, vampire's could make the bite a pleasurable thing, but he hadn't been going for that at all, just focusing on being gentle. Of course once he heard the moans escaping her lips, all that had gone out the window, but still, where had _that_ come from?

He was almost relieved when she shakily climbed back into her seat, just so he wouldn't be tempted to take her right here in the car. Reaching into the glove box, he was pleased to find a first-aid kit with bandages and after offering her one, pulled on his leather jacket, which he had thankfully left in the car last night, and stepped out into the parking lot.

Stretching, he found that everything seemed to be healed and he gave Elena a smug smirk when she stepped out and seemed to have trouble walking.

"I didn't know I had such a strong effect on you."

The blush that came filled her entire face, but she couldn't think of any comeback to that; it's not like she could deny it, and instead changed the subject.

"So where are we going?"

"Not sure, I plan on taking the first plane out of the terminal, wherever it's going."

Time was of the essence, but first he needed a way to pay for the flight. Entering the terminal, he searched until he found what he was looking for, a sports bar filled with enthusiasts staring at a big screen TV. Elena was a little confused as to why he chose to stop here. Did he want a drink? But Damon spotted exactly what he was looking for, a man in full designer clothes with shoes that had to be close to a thousand bucks, and a wealthy man equaled unlimited credit card. _Perfect!_

Elena didn't even see him pick the guys pocket, but after only seconds he led her to the row of desks. After securing their tickets on the first plane out of the airport, which was to San Diego, Damon pulled her quickly through the security check and toward the plane.

She was silent the entire way, searching frantically for an explanation for what she had just felt. How could she feel what Damon felt? She remembered the day Damon had attacked Caroline's dad and how angry she'd been. Although she had every right to be upset with him, it was almost like she had carried more than just her anger; like his temper had fueled hers.

How had she not noticed this before… and how long had it been going on?

Elena hadn't realized how preoccupied she'd been until she was seated on the plane and Damon was nervously shaking her arm.

"Elena, are you okay? Look at me!"

She shook her head to clear her jumbled thoughts and focused on his crystal blue eyes.

"Sorry."

"If that little blood transfusion did all this, I'd love to see what a kiss would do," he added seductively. Elena blushed, but flashed him a look of playful indifference.

"It will take a lot more than just flashing those eyes at me for that."

"Ooh, is that a challenge?"

The smirk on Damon's face said he was up for it and Elena refused to admit to the number of butterflies that were currently fluttering around inside her stomach.

"Only if you think _you_ can handle it."

"You're on!"

Elena re-focused her gaze out the window and now silently prayed to keep her wits in this game of seduction that she was sure to lose. Just as she leaned her head back against her seat, a piece of white paper shoved into the tray in front of her caught her attention. Pulling it out, she quickly smoothed over all the wrinkles and stared in shock at the words on the page.

"What is it," Damon asked. When she didn't answer, he took the paper from her hands.

_Elena,_

_ Mikael is coming for you! Be careful!_

_ B_

Tyler had been in and out since they'd left Mystic Falls.

With all the vervain floating around in his system, he was feeling sort of buzzed and just vaguely realized he was strapped into the backseat of Caroline's car. His back was stiff from being forced into a sitting position for so long and he quietly attempted to stretch it out without drawing attention to himself.

He noticed Caroline was driving with Matt in the passenger seat, but with the music blaring in the car, they hadn't yet noticed he was awake.

And then, as he continued his glance around the car, his heart stopped at the person sitting beside him.

"Mason!"

"You have to go back to Mystic Falls," Mason instructed.

Before Tyler could raise his head and question him further… he was gone!

**A/N: **So… Mason's back! And who is the girl Rebekah called to help with Stefan that looks like she could be Elena's sister? More importantly, how can Elena share Damon's feelings? Let me know what you think!


	3. Pull Me Down Deeper

**A/N:** So, in my last two chapters I'd had some trouble splitting up the sections when I switch 'scenes' and it seemed kind of like a run on, but I have just now discovered how to add a line break on this website, so, uh… (_nervous chuckle_), sorry about that. And thanks again to all you wonderful reviewers!

Chapter 3: Pull Me Down Deeper

Elena needed time to collect herself.

She'd bought a few essentials at the store in the airport and hoped that with some grooming, she would look less flustered. Unruly hair had been pulled up in a pony tail, teeth had been brushed, her face had been washed… but she knew that as soon as she saw Damon, it would all have been pointless.

Although she was confused over why she could share his feelings, she was more scared of her own. She still felt something for Stefan, that would probably never change, but she almost felt she had let go of that part of her life. Even if they brought Stefan back, things could never be the same. Something had changed between them long before the compulsion.

It had changed the day he told her Damon was dying.

No, things couldn't go back to normal with Stefan, but she was getting deeper into this with Damon than she ever intended to. She wasn't sure if she was ready to jump into another relationship, especially when she wasn't even sure what her feelings for him were. But was there a way to stop; particularly when she didn't want it to stop?

She let out a deep sigh as she took one last long look at the girl in the mirror before exiting the bathroom to find Damon. But after scanning the crowded airport, she still didn't see him.

Suddenly, two strong arms wrapped around her from behind and she let out a small shriek! But the laugh that followed took her from terror to agitation.

"Damon!" She spun around and slapped his arm with as much force as she could muster and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Oh, don't look so angry."

"Then don't you scare me like that!"

After a few moments, Elena managed to slow her rapidly beating heart. Damon took her hand and proceeded to drag her through the airport, and it wasn't until they passed the car rental desk without stopping that she began to be suspicious.

"Uh, Damon… car?"

"I have a surprise for you, and don't look so worried. My surprises are always good."

_Well, that's a point that can be argued_, Elena thought. They made their way out of the airport and into the parking lot only to be met with a bright red convertible Camaro resembling Damon's blue one.

"Where did you get this," Elena asked, pleasant surprise showing on her face.

"Didn't you see the rental desk?"

"They offered _this_ as a rental?"

"No, they didn't have anything I liked." Damon flashed roguish eyes at her and she had to fight the urge to melt under his gaze.

"Damon, please tell me you didn't steal it."

"I asked nicely," he assured her.

She was about to argue her point, but assumed she would probably lose and instead climbed into the driver's seat, holding her hand out for the keys.

"What do you think you're doing," he asked incredulous.

"Driving."

"No you're not. Get out!"

"No! I'm driving; now hand them over." With a roll of the eyes, Damon surrendered the keys and reluctantly took his seat on the passenger side.

"You don't even know where you're going," he threw in stubbornly.

"Does it matter; it's not like we have a direction."

Elena easily found the highway and cruised in no particular direction. Turning the music up, she reveled in the feel of the wind cool against her face. One of her favorite songs blared through the radio then and she sang along with every word. _Where had this sudden light and happy mood come from?_

She stopped mid-note with a look of horror when Damon started making howling sounds at her and contemplated making him walk.

"You don't seriously expect me to listen to your singing," he joked, changing the station.

"Hey, driver picks the station!"

"Only if she promises not to sing."

She rolled her eyes but when her hand grazed his as they both reached for the knob, she was filled with an entirely different emotion. Heat ran up her arm from his touch and she was almost light-headed from the pleasure of that simple touch.

She quickly brought her attention back to the road as Damon stared after her with an unfathomable expression. A pain in her stomach reminded her that she'd skipped breakfast and after spotting a Denny's at the next exit, pulled off the highway.

"Where are you going," Damon asked.

"Humans do have to eat, remember. I never had breakfast and I'm starving!"

"Good thing I brought my breakfast with me."

Elena's stomach did nervous flips at the reminder of the last time he'd bitten her and based on Damon's smirk, it didn't go unnoticed.

Although they were early for lunch according to California time, based on Atlanta time, and Elena's stomach, they were very late. Elena ordered a cheeseburger with fries and once she'd finished hers, Damon slid her the rest of his.

"If you keep eating like this it's going to be an expensive road trip," Damon teased.

"It's not like it's your money anyway."

Finally full, Elena collapsed against the back of the booth and would have been content to fall asleep right there. But Damon knew there were more pressing issues to attend to.

"What should we do about Mikael?"

"Isn't he part of the plan? Why's it so bad if he finds us," Elena asked.

"I wanted him to track and kill Klaus, not come after you."

Although Damon's face remained light, there was a determination in his eyes. Elena focused all her attention on him, trying to ignite the connection between him and know what he was really feeling in that moment, but it didn't work.

"I know my good looks can be distracting, but we should probably focus," Damon whispered, voice low and sultry. Elena was instantly pulled from her concentration and fixed him with an annoyed stare, although it didn't really cover her blush.

"I think we should hear what Mikael has to say. I'm sure after 1000 years he has a plan," she explained. Damon clearly didn't agree, but nodded his head. 

Jackie sat across the room from a very tired and grumpy Stefan, who was currently tied to a chair.

She'd been digging around his head all night and still hadn't been able to lift the compulsion. Being a telepath didn't necessarily mean she was capable of something this complicated, especially when it was the compulsion of someone as strong as Klaus.

Her phone rang in her pocket, alerting her to Rebekah's hopeful call.

"Hey Bek, I'm still working on it."

"No luck?"

"Not yet. You need to know that this might-"

"I know, I know; it might not work. You told me." Patience wasn't one of Rebekah's strong suits, which Jackie knew from centuries of experience with the girl.

"I'll keep trying. Have you found the doppelganger yet?"

"No, but when I do I'm seriously thinking of strangling her."

"Bek…"

"Don't worry, I won't hurt her. I promised, remember."

Although that promise had eased some of Jackie's tension, she knew Rebekah still planned on taking her to Klaus. She'd just have to get to her before she got there.

"I'll call you back tonight," Rebekah instructed before ending the call. Jackie let out a long sigh and allowed her head to fall back against the wall.

"Where am I," Stefan croaked.

"Ah, you're awake." The minute Stefan laid eyes on Jackie, his mind went in confusing spirals once again. Although her resemblance was nothing like Elena and Katherine's, she still looked so much like them. The eyes and nose were the same, but the lips were a little off, and her hair barely touched her shoulders.

"Who are you," he asked.

"Why, do I look familiar?"

"You know, with the pounding in my head, I'm really not in the mood for games."

Jackie rose from the chair with a dark smile and sauntered over to him, leaning over and placing her hands on the arms Stefan's chair and bringing her face down to his level.

"To answer your first question, we're still at the hotel in Atlanta. As for your second question, I'm a very, very old vampire."

"You look so much like Elena."

Stefan studied her face and sifted through possibilities, although the deficit of blood was making it hard to think at all. The resemblance was too great; she had to be related somehow. But if she was old, did that mean she was related to Katherine?

"No," Jackie responded as if he'd commented out loud. She took a seat on the bed with her knees almost touching Stefan's and gave him a wry smile. "I'm not directly related to Katherine or Elena."

"Then how do you look so much like them?"

"Do you really care, or is it just a 'know your enemy' type of thing?"

"Not really, it just peeked my interest."

"If you must know, I'm the sister of Juliana Petrova; although you would probably know her as the original doppelganger."

"Original doppelganger?"

"Surely you must have known that Elena and Katherine had to look like someone."

"So that makes you, what, a thousand years old," Stefan asked with a humorless snicker.

Jackie just rolled her eyes and leaned in.

"I would love to chat about my history all day, but I have some business to attend to."

With that, Jackie dove back into his head, searching for that area of his brain that was locked off. She gripped his face, hoping the contact would help and used all her force in the attempt to unlock the door, rendering Stefan unconscious in the process. 

Elena happily made her way through the biggest mall she'd ever seen, mind reeling at so many choices.

"Ooh, let's try this one first," Damon exclaimed, taking her hand and pulling her to the door to Victoria Secret.

"Damon! I'm not shopping for underwear with you!"

"Why not; it's not like I've never seen a naked girl before. Besides, you think I'm going to leave you alone with Klaus _and_ Mikael looking for you."

Elena wanted to argue, but she couldn't deny the fact that she would need a change of panties at some point. It's not like he would be in the dressing room with her. Once in the store, Damon was having way too much fun choosing bras. He loaded her arms with lacy ensembles that provided no support and hardly any coverage.

"Ah, the panties!"

Damon tossed her a pair of thongs, but here she drew the line.

"I would appreciate not having fabric stuck in my butt all day."

"Fine, try these." He pulled out black lacy panties that looked like they'd probably show a little too much butt cheek. Damon fully expected her to protest and walk off in search of decent underwear, but was pleasantly surprised when she accepted his offer.

Once she had selections from both of them, Elena made her way to the dressing room, just to be sure of the size.

"I'll be quick. Stay," she instructed as she closed the door. She quickly undressed, slipping on the deep purple bra Damon had picked out. At first she planned on throwing it in the floor and selecting a more appropriate style, but after taking a second look, she had to admit she looked pretty good… sexy. It made her feel a little wild; the same way Damon made her feel. It fit in a way.

She quickly selected the other bras for the keep pile and bent to retrieve the hanger from the floor.

"Definitely that one!"

The sound of that all too familiar voice in the dressing room with her made Elena whirl around in shock and anger.

"Damon, get out," she yelled.

"Shh, we're trying not to call attention to ourselves."

Elena snatched her shirt off the stool and held it in front of her.

"I said get out!"

"Alright, calm down. I was just giving a little constructive criticism."

The stern look never left her face and Damon was about to heed her words and leave when an idea came to him. He closed the distance between them, backing her up into the wall just below the hooks. She completely froze; warring between doing the responsible thing and slapping him or giving in to her desires.

He ran his hands up her stomach and gripped the end of her shirt, yanking it to the ground. His eyes roamed over her chest and then returned to her face with a look of hunger… but not for her blood.

"How long do you think you'll keep up this façade of just being my friend."

His smirk was alluring, as were his hands sliding up her bare sides. Looking directly in his eyes, she recognized the look of longing before she felt it. His feelings mirrored her own in that instant and she saw his face soften just before he leaned in.

But just before their lips met, a loud knock at the door brought them back to reality.

"Is everything okay in there Miss," the sales associate called.

"Uh… y-yes," Elena yelled back, voice hoarse and breathless.

"Let me know if you need anything."

Elena took a few steadying breaths before picking her shirt back up and facing Damon.

"We should get going; lots of store to see." 

Alaric cautiously waved the dead cat under Katherine's nose. He wasn't a big fan of animal cruelty, but it was a better option than her biting one of them.

"Are you sure about this," Bonnie asked.

"Not really, but Jeremy was right, Katherine might have information we need."

"I couldn't just leave her th-"

"Stop! You've lost the right to talk," Bonnie ordered. Jeremy just rolled his eyes at her temper and stretched back out on the bed, giving a quick smile to Anna who sat beside him, looking just as upset as Bonnie.

"She's right, you know; you shouldn't have brought her."

Jeremy closed his eyes and faked sleep.

A sudden intake of breath caught everyone's attention as Katherine suddenly awoke and yanked the cat from Alaric's grasp, sinking her fangs in its fur. Within seconds she dropped the drained creature to the floor and attempted to stand.

"Please tell me you have something better than this junk," she asked with a look of petulance.

"You're free to eat all the animals you want, but if you try attacking one of us, I'll gladly take you out," Bonnie threatened. The witches might have cut her off, but Katherine didn't know that, and she had gotten stronger since the last time she took on Katherine.

"Fine, I won't touch. But I'm curious, why did you bring me exactly?"

"It was my call; I was hoping you had a little more information on Mikael," Jeremy spoke, rising off the bed and moving to stand in front of her.

"How thoughtful. Unfortunately, Pearl didn't really share."

"It's true Jeremy, she didn't even tell me how she knew him," Anna confirmed.

"So what now," Alaric asked.

"Now, Mikael kills Klaus. What part of that sounds bad," Katherine inquired.

"What's bad is he's going after Elena to lure Klaus out. I just want to know a little more about his intentions."

"There might be a way," Bonnie interceded.

All eyes focused on her as she dug through her grimiore.

"I might be able to talk with Pearl, just like Jeremy talks with Anna." She just hoped she had the strength to tackle such a spell.

"Jeremy, dig the candles out of my bag."

Once everything was in place, everyone backed against the walls, waiting for Bonnie to begin. There was the typical chanting and flames, but then the floor beneath them started to shake and the room filled with voices… haunting voices.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing Bonnie," Katherine spat.

No one breathed until the walls finally stopped moving and then shocked gasps could be heard at the figure that appeared in front of them.

"Grams?" 

Damon and Elena finally finished loading the new clothes into their new suitcase, choosing to be prepared in case another speedy getaway is needed. This hotel was much nicer than the last one and Elena stretched out across the fluffy king sized bed.

"You know, if you want to stay in tonight, I have plenty of ideas for that bed," Damon insisted.

"All my thoughts on this bed include sleep."

Elena seized the remote off the bedside table and began aimlessly flipping through channels.

"So, what's for supper," she asked.

"Hungry again? Would you like to consume the entire cow this time?"

"Ha ha, very funny. Are you telling me you're not hungry too?" Elena wanted to take back the question as soon as it left her mouth. She hoped maybe he would just ignore it, but being Damon, he wouldn't.

"Actually, I'm very hungry." In a flash he was on top of her, pinning her arms above her head. For a second, his eyes darkened and she could see the veins spreading down his face. But then it was gone and replaced with an inquisitive look.

"What got you so excited when I fed off you in the car? Not that I doubt my stellar abilities… but your reaction… I wasn't expecting it."

Elena stared into his blue eyes, deep in thought. She wasn't sure if this was a revelation she wanted to share with him just yet, but with his face just inches from hers, she couldn't quite remember why.

"I could feel… everything… everything you felt, while you fed on me. The love when I offered, the hunger when you tasted my blood… the pleasure." Elena felt her blood boil as she remembered the feeling.

"What do you mean you felt it?"

Damon released Elena's arms and fell to the side, allowing Elena to shift into a more comfortable position.

"Since this summer, every time you've been in trouble, I've shared your feelings. I didn't recognize it at first… not until this morning in the parking lot. And when you fed on me today, I could feel what you felt."

Elena was well aware of how crazy she sounded. She was just waiting for him to start laughing, but instead he only stared at her.

"You can feel all my emotions," Damon asked, more to himself than to her; the look on his face dubious.

"Not all of them; just the intense ones." At the moment, she was trying very hard to get a read on his feelings, but she could almost feel him shutting her out.

"How?"

"I'm not sure."

Damon immediately jumped up from his position on the bed and made for the door.

"Where are you going," Elena asked.

"I need some time to think. I won't go far."

"Damon, wait," Elena called as she jumped from the bed to follow him. But when he opened the door, he was surprised to see a man standing on the other side.

"Damon Salvatore I presume."

"Let me guess… Mikael?"

Mikael stepped through the door as Damon backed up towards Elena, keeping her behind him.

"And you must be the beautiful Elena?" Damon's eyes narrowed at the look that came over Mikael's face as he took in Elena; it was an evil glint mixed with morbid appreciation and all he could think about was how to get her out of this one.

"Legend has it, you're the vampire that knows how to kill Klaus. Care to explain," Damon inquired.

"The legends are true, but I was hoping Elena here would help me lure him out."

"I want Klaus dead. What do I -," Elena started, but Damon cut her off.

"_We_ will help, as soon as you tell us your plan."

"That's very generous of you Mr. Salvatore, but I really don't need a young, impulsive vampire ruining things for us."

Before Damon had time to register how it happened, Mikael was in front of him with his hand in Damon's chest.

"Don't, please, please don't hurt him," Elena begged, gripping Mikael's shoulder and imploring him to meet her eyes, which had filled with tears. Mikael turned back to Damon and gave a frustrated sigh.

"I guess I don't _have_ to kill you."

Mikael released Damon's heart, but then proceeded to snap his neck. Elena's scream nearly overshadowed the sound of the crack and Damon's body dropped to the ground. Gripping the pen off the bedside table, which was the closest thing she could find, she swung it at Mikael, aiming for his neck, but he caught her hand mid-air.

"Uh-uh Miss Elena, I did not kill him… but I couldn't have him getting in the way. Now…"

Mikael looked her over and seemed to freeze on her wrist which wore her mother's bracelet. After smelling the charms, he unclasped it and tossed it on the bed.

"Is that all the vervain you have on you?"

Elena heart nearly stopped at that question. She hadn't been ingesting vervain for months, and that bracelet was the only protection she had. What would he compel her to do? When she didn't answer, he bent towards her neck and sniffed.

"Huh, I would have thought you're boyfriend here would have had you drinking it. Oh, well… it will make this much simpler."

Something outside seemed to catch his attention and he made his way to the window, listening. Elena considered making a run for the door, but knew it was pointless; he'd catch her before she even stepped foot outside… and she knew she couldn't leave Damon. The tears streamed down her face as she took in his motionless body. Of course he would heal, but it was still heart-breaking to take in.

"I need to run out for a minute, but I won't be long," Mikael explained, stepping up to Elena and gripping the back of her head, forcing her to look at him.

"You will stay in this room, quietly, until I come back."

She saw his pupils dilate and knew he was compelling her, but strangely she didn't feel forced to heed his words; no pull to stay in the room at all. But she kept a straight face until he was out the door.

Elena caught the door before it closed and after making sure he was out of sight, she tentatively stepped out into the hall. To her surprise, it worked! She wasn't compelled to stay in the room. Elena instinctively knew that she shouldn't trust Mikael; if he needed her to lure Klaus then he would just have to pretend. But how was she supposed to get Damon to the car?

A man from the room beside was just stepping out into the hall and she seized the opportunity.

"Sir, please, I need your help!"

"What's wrong," he asked, seeming genuinely concerned. He was probably in his early thirties and most likely had kids of his own based on the fatherly smile he gave her. Elena knew she couldn't tell him the truth, so she quickly came up with a believable lie.

"It's my ex, he found us here and he hurt my boyfriend pretty bad. I need to get both of us out of here before he gets back."

The man followed her into the room but froze when he took in Damon's crumpled form.

"I think we should call 911. He looks pretty bad."

"We don't have time; I can drive him to the hospital myself. Just please help me get him out the window, into the parking lot!"

The man seemed confused, but nodded his head anyway. It took both of them to lift Damon through the window, with him lifting from the outside and her from the inside. Elena tossed the man her keys and instructed him to get him into the car. She hurriedly snatched the suitcase and followed him.

"Thank you," she shouted at him as she started the car and peeled from the parking lot. 

Rebekah pulled up to yet another hotel in San Diego. It hadn't taken long, once she arrived at the airport and Atlanta, to hear the ruckus about a stolen wallet and then compel the ticket agent to show her when the credit card was used and where they were headed. But this was the seventh hotel she'd been to today and she was starting to get bored. After parking, she dialed Jackie's number, hoping she was having better luck.

"Hey Bek," Jackie answered.

"Any luck?"

"I think I'm almost there, but I have to tell you, once I release the compulsion we still have to convince him to turn his emotions back on."

"We'll deal with that when we get there. I'm still chasing that little…"

Rebekah froze mid-sentence and the cell phone slipped from her hand; her eyes riveted on the figure standing beside her passenger window. It was Mikael!

"Father?"

**A/N:** Poor Damon; he's had really bad experiences with these originals. What information will Grams have for Bonnie and is Tyler still in his vervain coma? Let me know what you think!


	4. Wrong

**A/N:** Hey all! So I mentioned last time that I thought I had the line breaks figured out, but I was wrong. I read a fanfiction once that just used letters to separate different POV's so I tried that. When you see ~TVD~, that's where they're split. I would site my source, but I can't remember which story it was. Anyway, thanks again for all the reviews!

Chapter 4: Wrong

"How are you here," Bonnie asked, through her continuous stream of tears.

"That spell you did wasn't just to call upon a ghost in question… it revealed all the ghosts that walk among us," Grams responded, reassuringly squeezing her hands.

"What do you mean… walk among us?"

"The spells you've been doing lately, bringing Jeremy back and sending Vicki Donovan away… the original witch has been using those opportunities to force open the door from the other side. Any dead supernatural entity with unfinished business has been free to walk around. You just made them visible."

"We needed to talk to Pearl. Mikael's going after Elena, we just wanted to know more about him," Alaric spoke up. He knew this was a special moment between Bonnie and her grandmother, but they just didn't have the time.

"I can't tell you too much about Mikael, but I know you shouldn't try to kill Klaus."

"We have to," Jeremy nearly shouted. "He has a hold over my sister."

"And Stefan," Alaric interceded.

But Grams just shook her head, willing them to listen to her words.

"From what I've heard about that curse the original witch placed on Klaus, it linked Elena's life to Klaus. The doppelganger only exists because she was needed to break the curse; she was created for Klaus! If you kill Klaus, there will be no reason for her to exist. The witches believe that she'll die too."

Jeremy's knees suddenly felt too weak under his body and he swayed before collapsing on the floor, desperately trying to catch his breath. The rest of the room wore similar faces of shock, but no one could form a question… except Katherine.

"What about me; would it kill me too!"

"_You_ are already dead," Grams spat at the egotistic vampire. Katherine was instantly relieved, though she was the only one and took a seat in the nearby chair to watch the rest of this soap-opera unfold.

"But… there has to be a way! We can't just let Klaus win," Bonnie protested.

"You'd have to find a way to break the link between them, and as far as I know, it can't be done," Grams answered.

"Well then, we have to stop Mikael; he can't be allowed to kill Klaus until we know how to save Elena," Alaric instructed, while trying to help Jeremy who was still shaking on his knees.

"How," Bonnie asked, voice already hopeless. She stumbled back to the bed and dropped in a heap on the mattress, eyes searching for a way out of the mess they were in.

"Well first, I think it's time we regroup. Can you send more of those notes?"

"I know a faster way," Grams informed, a broad smile spreading across her face.

~TVD~

Damon became aware that he was slowly coming back to reality when the pain radiating from the base of his neck to the top of his head grew more prominent. Why couldn't he just stay unconscious? He opened heavy eyelids to find the darkness of night outside and the cool breeze blowing through the car.

He was also very aware of a warm hand wrapped around his own.

"Elena," he groaned, pulling himself up further into the seat.

"Damon! Are you okay; how do you feel?"

"Fantastic; getting my neck broken is always the highlight of my day."

Damon twisted his neck from side to side, listening for the satisfying crack as he stretched his muscles. Elena just rolled her eyes, but was mostly just happy he was awake. She realized she still had his hand, but couldn't bring herself to let it go yet.

"Where are we anyway," Damon asked, staring out into the blackness.

"I'm not really sure. I just took the closest highway; I'm not even sure if we're still in California."

"How long have we been driving?"

"Uh, a little over two hours."

"I don't smell the ocean, so we're either headed north or towards Arizona."

As if in answer to his question, the next sign they passed was the "Welcome to Yuma" sign, though Elena could barely make it out from the glare of the headlights.

"Yuma, Arizona. Yuma airport shouldn't be too far."

"Have you been here before," Elena asked, seeing nothing but desert illuminated in the headlights; it just didn't seem like his normal haunt.

"Passed through. The hot, dusty desert isn't really my style. Phoenix however, does have its possibilities."

Elena's stomach gave a load grumble then, much to her embarrassment, and brought a smile to Damon's face.

"I think the lion in your stomach is protesting."

"We never had supper, remember? I've been starving, but the pain was kind of keeping me awake."

Damon reached into the backseat and pulled his jacket out. Digging through the pockets, he found a candy bar that had to be at least three weeks old.

"Since we can't have you passing out from hunger…"

Elena snatched the Snickers bar from Damon's hand and pulled furiously at the paper. She moaned with pleasure after the first bite and had the entire bar consumed in seconds.

"Guess it's a good thing I didn't want any," Damon snorted, staring skeptically at Elena's chocolate covered lips; although he could certainly think of something he wanted much more than chocolate. But that line of thought brought on the memories of last night, and the revelation of exactly why he shouldn't be near her like that.

"What about you, are you… you know… hungry," Elena asked quietly.

"I'm fine."

Damon's mood seemed to have plummeted in a matter of seconds, leaving Elena confused.

"Damon, if you need it, you can tell me. I'm not planning on being your personal blood bag, but we don't have a lot of options here."

"I'm not feeding from you!"

He reached over, turning the radio up too high to allow conversation and sat back staring out the window. Elena sensed immediately what this had to do with. Was he really that scared for her to know his feelings? If only he knew that at this very moment, she could feel all the anger and hesitation he was feeling as if it were her own.

Of course he couldn't let her in; he'd just been able to get closer to her than he'd ever been, but if he let her know the depth of his feelings for her… she'd never given him any reason to think she'd reciprocate those feelings and knowing the truth might scare her away forever.

Neither could think of anything to say so they spent the next fifteen minutes in heated silence.

"Take the next exit toward the airport. We'll find a hotel to stay at close by," Damon instructed.

Elena made ready to do as he said, but just before the exit a sharp pain pierced through her skull, causing her to scream out in agony. Through the pain she let go of the wheel, leaving Damon to keep the car from careening off the road.

"Elena, Elena, what's wrong!"

Using his supernatural speed, Damon slid under her, positioning her on his lap and sliding his foot on the brake, navigating off the road. Once the car was stopped, he turned her as much as possible in the limited space to face him, while she still gripped her head with tears threatening to spill down her face.

"Elena, please tell me what's wrong! I can't fix it if you don't tell me!"

His hands were caressing the sides of her face and he felt in that moment he would rather rip his own heart out than watch her suffer like this.

And then her face went blank, as if she was concentrating very hard on something.

"Elena?"

"I can hear Bonnie," she rasped.

"Bonnie? What do you mean you can hear Bonnie?"

"She wants us to regroup at Alaric's mountain house as soon as possible."

~TVD~

Jackie slammed her phone back down in her center console after another fruitless call. She'd been trying to reach Rebekah all night to let her know of her success with Stefan. He had been released from his compulsion, but still had the switch flipped on his humanity.

But Jackie could only wait on her for so long before she had to continue with her own plan.

"You're sure this is where he's storing them," she asked Stefan.

"Yep."

They'd been driving all night and were almost back within Mystic Falls city limits. The anticipation of this night had been building within her for months and now it nearly consumed her.

"Do you think we could stop for a bite? It's been way too long since I fed and I have a craving for a spunky, young waitress."

"You can eat once we get there," Jackie responded.

"Alright then, so why don't you tell me about yourself? How did you turn?"

"I thought you didn't care."

"We have to do something to pass the time," Stefan drawled, turning to her expectantly.

"Fine; Niklaus turned me. I was the first ever to be turned by a vampire."

"Klaus turned you? Why?"

"He needed my help to save my sister."

Stefan stared confusedly for a moment before he finally asked for clarification. "Save her from what?"

"Oh, seriously Stefan; I thought you had that figured out. The curse on Klaus was bound by Petrova blood… the blood of my sister," Jackie explained through her teeth. She remembered that night all too vividly.

"Klaus wanted to stop the curse."

"Yes, he did want to stop it, but he also loved Juliana."

Stefan sat dumbfounded for the next few minutes, trying to picture the big, bad Klaus in love. He shook his head before turning back to Jackie.

"Klaus was in love with your sister? And that's why you want to save him?"

"Not exactly."

Stefan waited but she didn't continue, so he decided a subject change was needed.

"How can you get inside my head? Walking through someone's dreams is one thing, but to actually hear every thought I have and undo compulsion… I've never seen that before."

"It was a gift… from the original witch. Her way of saying 'sorry I killed your sister'."

Jackie felt the familiar tears start to form in her eyes, but kept them at bay.

"Is this it," she asked as they pulled up to a warehouse that looked like it had been abandoned for decades.

"Yeah, the truck's inside."

Stepping out they were met with two vampires, clearly under Klaus' compulsion to guard the building.

"They won't let us in. I hope you brought a stake or two," Stefan chuckled. He honestly could care less whether she got what she wanted or not; he was just staying with her until he fed and was strong enough to get away. Besides, once Klaus knew he'd stopped searching for Elena he'd kill him, so what was the rush.

"They can't stop us if they don't see us."

"What…," Stefan began, but as he followed her to the warehouse, they walked right past the vampires without them even turning their heads.

"Why didn't they stop us?"

"It was an illusion. I went inside their heads and made them see nothing but the normal countryside."

Stefan was still reeling from that when Jackie approached the back of the truck, easily lifting the door to the cargo container, revealing the coffins containing Klaus' family. She hoped in and went up to each coffin before finally stopping at one. Lifting the lid, Stefan could see Elijah's ashen body with a dagger protruding from his chest.

"How did you know it was the right one," he asked.

"It smelt the freshest."

Without giving the action much thought, Jackie reached in and yanked the dagger from his chest, and smiled as she gently ran a hand across his face.

"Why are we waking Elijah anyway," Stefan inquired, keeping nervous eyes on the original who'd once betrayed him.

"I'm about to take on Niklaus; I think I could use a little help. Besides, I feel like I owe him."

"Why, because your sister was in love with Klaus."

"I said Klaus loved my sister, not that she loved him. She was in love with Elijah."

~TVD~

Elena was just starting to rouse in her seat in their "new" Ford Explorer. She'd slept through the entire plane ride to West Virginia and hadn't even cared when Damon stole yet another car to get them to the cabin. She could see the sun just peeking up over the mountains as they drove through the trees.

"Morning Sleeping Beauty," Damon called.

"Are we almost there?"

"Won't be long now."

Elena suddenly noticed that Damon looked mad… murderously mad.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"I've spent the entire drive contemplating ways to torture that judgey little witch for that last voodoo trick she pulled. I'm just pissed that I haven't found one to suit me yet."

Damon gave her a menacing smile before returning his eyes to the road.

"I don't think she meant to hurt me. She was just giving us a message."

"Well maybe next time she'll read the disclaimer."

Elena watched Damon as he drove and realized his current black mood might not just be from Bonnie's spell. He hadn't fed since yesterday morning, and even then he'd only taken enough to heal him.

"You need to eat, Damon."

"We've already had this discussion. Besides, I'm sure Blondie will have a supply on her."

"Not that I'd encourage this in any way, but why didn't you… feed… at the airport?"

"I didn't want to risk drawing attention. A dead body or missing person from the airport might make the news and I can't afford to lead Klaus here."

They finally pulled onto a long road that led up the mountain and in seconds sighted a cozy house tucked back in the trees. It looked small, but promised a bed and hopefully food. To their surprise, they were the first ones there.

"Where is everybody," Elena asked.

"Give me a moment to check my crystal ball and I'll get back to you," Damon smirked before stepping out. They walked up the few steps to the door and were pleased to find a spare key shoved under the mat. Elena unlocked the door and stepped into a basic living room with a couch, recliner and fireplace. The kitchen was also small and there were two doors down the hall, probably leading to a bathroom and bedroom.

"At least it's not too dirty… Damon?"

Elena turned and was surprised when she didn't see Damon standing next to her.

"Key or no key, I still can't get in, remember," he explained from his place at the doorway.

"Right, I forgot."

"It's a shame; I had plenty of ideas to pass the time while we waited." Damon waggled his eyebrows and gave her a sensual smile that made Elena's heart stutter. She turned away from him, making her way into the kitchen, mostly so he couldn't see the blush that now colored her cheeks.

"I hope he has some food in here. A candy bar and some airplane peanuts aren't a lot to go on," she complained. Searching through the cabinets, all she found were canned soup and Ramen noodles. _Better than nothing_, she thought, pulling the noodles out and pulling out a pot for water, but when she tried to fill it, no water came out of the faucet.

"The water's not working," she called out to Damon.

"People don't normally leave the water on in a hunting cabin when they're not here."

Of course; now that made sense. Her dad always had to turn on the water at their cabin when they visited, first thing. But Stefan had taken care of it on her last visit and she had no idea where to find the lever to turn on the water.

"Do you know how to turn it on," she asked, stepping back outside.

"It's usually in the crawlspace," Damon explained, a huge smile covering his face as he eyed the tiny door at the side of the house.

"Please tell me you can get in there!"

"Sorry, but I'm pretty sure the vampire security system extends to all parts of the house. Have fun!"

After finding a flashlight, Elena hesitantly opened the door, revealing the smallest room she'd ever seen.

"I don't see a light switch."

Damon just laughed at her expense as he sat with his back against a tree, watching her with his hands behind his head. Elena's chin jutted out in determination and she bent down and crawled through the door. Within seconds, Damon heard her scream as she ran into a spider web. He was at the door in seconds, trying hard to control the laughter fighting its way out.

"Watch out, it's on your back," he called out, causing her to scream once more and drop her flashlight as she desperately tried to shake her shirt out.

"I was just kidding," Damon yelled back.

"Damon! That is so not funny."

She retrieved her flashlight and searched for the lever in question; quickly finding it and rushing to turn on the water. Damon helped her out and took in her new dirty appearance.

"Once I'm allowed in, I'll gladly help you shower."

Elena just rolled her eyes and trudged back into the house. Moments later, she returned with two bowls of noodles to find him sitting on the steps.

"Is this road trip affecting your appetite," he asked, indicating the extra bowl.

"This one's for you. Caroline said food helps with the… thirst."

He searched her face for any indication that she was about to start another lecture and once he was satisfied she wasn't, accepted the bowl. At first they ate in silence, each noting that Elena hadn't quite cooked the noodles thoroughly enough. Once Elena was finished she turned to face Damon with a determined face.

"I already know how you feel about me Damon. Why is it so awful for me to share your feelings?"

At first, Damon made no move to answer her, but then she noticed his grip increasing on the bowl, and it wasn't until it shattered in his hand that he turned to meet her gaze.

"Is it getting stronger, this connection," he asked.

"I think so. Any strong emotion you feel, I feel."

"What if it continues to grow stronger; what if I start to share your feelings too?"

Elena wasn't exactly sure where he was going with this. She was usually open about her feelings, and if she wasn't, he'd go to great lengths to make her admit them. Why would he be so worried about knowing them?

"I don't understand?"

"Elena, I know you care about me… and I think we're only going to continue to get closer, but I'm not an idiot. I know you still love Stefan, even if you can't go back to him. It's hard enough for me to be close to you when I know you're thinking of him. I don't want to feel your _love_ for him while you're with me!"

By the end of his speech, Elena could see the moisture gather in his eyes. If only he knew that in the past few days, she'd barely thought of Stefan at all. Yes, she did still love Stefan, but the feelings Damon was igniting in her… they're strong. She might not be ready to drop the L-word, but she was sure this was something worth fighting for. Staring into his crystal blue eyes now, she could only think of one thing to show him just how much she does care about him.

He'd started to turn away, but she took his face in her hands and brought him back to face her, bringing her lips to his. It started out sweet and innocent, but as Damon realized what she was admitting to, the passion built until everything else just faded away. Elena's hands rose to tangle into his hair and she could feel him exploring the warm skin of her back just under her shirt.

They hadn't noticed just how carried away the kiss had gotten until the sound of a car coming up the driveway alerted them to the existence of the outside world.

Alaric pulled up in front of the house, waving to the two of them. Elena and Damon rose to meet them, but froze when Katherine stepped out of the back.

"It's a long story," Alaric explained.

Damon just nodded; at the moment he didn't really trust his voice.

"Why aren't you both inside?"

"Damon hasn't been invited in," Elena explained, still slightly breathless. Damon had to turn his head to hide his smug smile.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention it. When I took guardianship over you and Jeremy I had Sheriff Forbes put my assets in your names as well. This cabin is yours too."

"Really, you didn't have to do that."

"I just wanted to make sure that if anything happens to me, you Jeremy are covered. Although I don't have a lot to offer," he chuckled.

"Thanks. And in that case, come in Damon."

She smiled at him as they made their way to the door, but to everyone's surprise, Damon still couldn't enter.

"That's weird, maybe they screwed up the papers," Alaric mumbled.

While the rest of the party seemed confused by this turn of events, Damon and Elena shared a conspiratorial look.

"Why don't you try, Jer," Elena asked.

"Okay, uh, I invite you in Damon."

Damon tried once more and this time, it worked. He stood in the doorway, lost in thought before something that had been nagging at the back of his mind finally made its way forward.

"After you died, Katherine entered the house without being invited in and then Rebekah. I just thought it was the whole death thing, but what if it's not," he asked, speaking directly to Elena.

"I'm sure it's just faulty paper work," Alaric assured them.

"That's not the strangest thing that's happened," Damon went on, looking to Elena for approval before continuing. "We had a run in with Mikael. He tried to compel her, but it didn't work."

Damon was about to mention Elena's new ability to share his feelings, but that just felt too personal, and after meeting her eyes, he knew she felt the same way.

"Um, hello, remember me. I'm still stuck outside," Katherine interrupted.

"And that's where you're staying, but feel free to find a hotel," Alaric called out. Katherine scoffed and stalked back towards the car. Every eye in the room returned to Bonnie who had begun pacing the room.

"Something must have gone wrong when you came back," she mumbled. "but what?"

~TVD~

Caroline tore down the long road up the mountain. She'd woken Tyler before they'd left so he could eat, but after protesting about returning to Mystic Falls, had to take the time to vervain him once again. She hated doing this to him, but what other choice did she have?

"He'll be fine, Care," Matt assured her.

"I hope so."

It had been nice having Matt with her through this. She knew he didn't want to be there, but he hadn't complained once and had done everything she'd asked him to. When she and Tyler had become a couple, she'd hoped that one day she could patch up her friendship with Matt, and now that seemed closer than ever.

She threw a glance to her rear view mirror to check on an unconscious Tyler, but then she her mouth dropped open and she slammed on the brake, nearly losing control of the car.

"Easy Care! I don't have super healing, remember," Matt protested, but Caroline didn't even acknowledge him.

"What is it?"

"Do you see him too," she asked.

Matt followed her gaze to the back seat and was shocked into silence at the sight of Mason!

"Well it's about time," Mason drawled.

**A/N:** Sorry about the lack of Delena PDA, although they did share a kiss. I was assuming that Damon would take the shared emotions as a bad thing.


	5. Revelations

Chapter 5: Revelations

All eyes were locked on Bonnie and her grandmother, except for Mason who stood staring at his nephew, knocked out and lying on the floor. The witches had their hands on Elena and were desperately trying to determine what exactly had gone wrong.

Mason had spent the entire morning explaining why they had to return to Mystic Falls; a cave was hidden under his family's property which was rumored to contain a weapon that could kill an original. But in light of the fact that killing Klaus would also kill Elena, everyone had agreed it was a moot point.

"Can't you make the juju work faster," Damon complained.

"Quiet! This takes concentration," Grams instructed.

Damon rolled his eyes and went back to pacing the floor, blood bag in hand. It felt like hours later when the both witches' heads snapped up.

"Nothing went wrong with the spell," Bonnie spoke, seeming unconvinced by her own words.

"What do mean? Something must have happened," Elena questioned.

"When I read you, I get a really weird vibe… almost like what I get when I touch a vampire."

Bonnie looked to her grandmother for explanation, but she seemed just as confused.

"Did anything happen before the spell," she finally asked, looking from Bonnie to Elena.

"What do you mean," Elena asked.

"Did you take any other steps to save your life other than the spell?"

Elena's eyes automatically snapped to Damon's, who seemed to be reading her mind. Bonnie's head fell into her hands as she realized where this was going. Elena opened her mouth to speak, but it was Damon who answered.

"I fed her my blood."

"You had vampire blood in your system when you died," Grams asked of Elena who just nodded. She could still vividly remember that day, having her choices taken away from her like that, preparing for life as a vampire. She'd known she wasn't ready. But the spell was supposed to override the blood, so what went wrong?

"When you died with his blood in your body, it changed you. I've never seen anything like this before. It's almost like you have select abilities of a vampire, but you aren't one, although even a vampire can't resist compulsion by an original. Like this house, even though your name's on the deed, it doesn't recognize you. You can walk in because you're human, but you can't invite a vampire in."

It sounded insane… but it made sense. Elena thought it over, but that still left one unresolved problem.

"The connection...," Elena mumbled. She hadn't realized she'd spoken aloud until everyone turned to her. Damon stared into her eyes, contemplating for a few moments, before finally nodded in approval for her to continue.

"Since my, uh, death… I've been sharing Damon's feelings. It wasn't strong at first; I didn't even realize we were doing it. But now it's… strong." Elena met Damon's eyes as she confessed this and felt a heat rise in her stomach like she'd never felt before. It was like an intense arousal that was getting harder and harder to ignore.

Was all this a response to the connection, or was it just him?

Taking a few seconds to evaluate herself she was sure her feelings were her own, and she had to bring her gaze back down to her hands before anyone else could read the emotion on her face.

"You're both connected. This has never been done before; there's no telling how deep this connection could go," Grams warned.

"So what do we do," Bonnie asked.

"It seems kind of harmless to me," Caroline spoke up. "Resisting compulsion is a good thing, and besides, it's not like Damon has any emotions to feel."

Elena shot her a dirty look, but had to agree that this was very low on their priorities; not to mention she wasn't even sure she wanted it fixed.

"If we're done wasting our time, maybe we should focus on finding that weapon," Mason interrupted.

"Did you miss the part where killing Klaus would kill Elena," Caroline asked, growing annoyed with the dead werewolf who had done nothing but criticize her for vervaining Tyler.

"Besides, you're dead, which means you don't get a vote," Damon smirked, making sure to get in his face. The two were about to come to blows when Jeremy interrupted from the living room.

"Uh, guys… you might want to see this."

Everyone piled into the small sitting room as Jeremy turned up the volume on the TV. According to the reporter, a series of murders had occurred over just the last several hours in what was assumed gang related activity, and even the mayor was injured. Caroline threw a fleeting glance at Tyler's sleeping form at the thought of sharing that news.

"Klaus," Elena assumed, going ghostly white.

"_This man was caught on a security camera and is believed to be in connection with the murders_," the reporter continued, showing a fuzzy picture of the man's face. Gasps could be heard around the room as Elena, Damon, and Alaric recognized the face.

"Wasn't that one of the tomb vampires," Alaric asked.

"Frederick," Damon confirmed, eyes shrinking to slits and nostrils flaring.

"I told you we weren't the only ghosts to return," Grams explained. "You have to close that door."

Bonnie nodded and returned to the kitchen table where Grams explained what she would need to do.

~TVD~

Stefan had helped load Elijah into the car as soon as he'd awoken. Now he sat impatiently in the hotel room, trying in vain to decide his next move. Jackie had no way to kill Klaus if she angered him and her sole plan revolved around bringing back his humanity. He was sure if he stayed here, he was dead.

He needed something to offer Klaus for his life, but what?

His phone rang in his pocket and he quickly excused himself to take the call, knowing that Elijah and Jackie could most likely still hear every word he said. Once outside, the name that appeared on the phone surprised him.

"Katherine."

"Miss me?"

"Not really, you wouldn't be calling if you didn't need something, so why don't you get to the point," Stefan ordered.

"How excited would you be if I told you there might be a way to kill Klaus?"

This certainly peaked his interest.

"How?"

"Rumor has it there's a cave on the old Lockwood property that holds a weapon. Damon and friends are busy debating what to do about it," Katherine explained, sounding entirely pleased with herself.

"What is there to debate?" Stefan was being very careful with his words. He wasn't sure where Jackie and Elijah stood on killing Klaus when there was a possibility he could be saved.

"Apparently, by being the doppelganger, Elena is linked to Klaus, meaning killing him will kill her."

Stefan took a moment to process this. Something deep down was screaming at him to care, that he loved her and couldn't let her die. But the monster controlling him pushed it back down before it could take a foothold in his mind.

"So what's the plan," he finally asked.

"Are you sure you're on board with this; if we succeed, Elena will die."

"I said, what's the plan?"

He could almost hear the smirk in her voice as she ran through what she had in mind and then promptly ended the call. Stefan knew he couldn't return to hotel room; Jackie could read his mind in a second and the plan would be ruined. Instead he strode over to a man who was just unloaded the suitcases from his car.

"Don't be alarmed; you're going to give me your car."

The man's face remained blank as he surrendered the keys and watched his car drive away. Stefan through a tentative glance behind him and then turned on the radio, speeding in the direction of Mystic Falls.

~TVD~

Elena watched Bonnie stare forlornly at the seat her grandmother had occupied just minutes before. She knew sending her away had been hard on her. Jeremy should be here for her, but he was doing some moping of his own after losing Anna.

"Can we talk," Damon asked from behind her. Elena nodded, following him outside. They both threw wary glances around for Katherine, but were pleased when she didn't seem to be around.

"What is it," Elena asked.

"That kiss, did you mean it?"

Elena stood locked in his eyes as a smile slowly made its way across her face.

"Yes."

Damon stared back at her, unable to fathom what she could possibly be thinking. When had she gotten over his brother? Had she gotten over his brother? When had she decided she cared for him in more ways than just a friend?

"Why? Why now; was it just because of what I said, because I don't need your pity! I need to know your feelings are real, and not something that's gonna change if Stefan finds his humanity again!"

Elena didn't know what to say; she wasn't sure of her own feelings. But Damon was sure of his! She could feel his emotions with an intensity she'd never experienced before. He'd opened himself up completely to her; became more vulnerable than he'd ever been. The force of so much love and desire almost forced tears from her eyes and was making it hard to breathe, let alone sort through her own jumbled emotions. Closing her eyes and taking a deep, unsteady breath, she once again met his troubled eyes.

"I do still love Stefan and I don't know if that will ever change. But what I feel for you, I don't know how to describe it… and I can't fight it anymore. It's strong, stronger than anything I've ever felt. And it's scary. I just…"

She stopped, thinking back over the last few weeks; how Damon had been there for her through everything, and how much it had hurt when he'd left with Katherine. That had hurt worse than anything Stefan had done. She _needed_ him, but did she _love_ him? No, the word love didn't begin to cover it… it was stronger! She couldn't describe it to him because there wasn't a word invented that could explain it!

An idea came to her then, and she prayed it would work.

Slowly, she took his face in her hands and focused on everything she felt when she looked into his eyes, trying to find that connection and open herself up to him. At first he only looked confused by her actions… but then his face lit up with recognition… and then awe!

If he was aware of the tears streaming from his eyes he didn't act like it. He brought his hands up to gently cup her face before forcefully pulling her to him and crushing his lips to hers. The kiss intensified, building as they each felt the others passion. Elena's knees started to give out beneath her and Damon wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her feet from the ground. It wasn't until she needed air that they finally broke the kiss, but Damon only trailed his lips down her throat.

"You two might want to continue that somewhere less open," Katherine interrupted, sauntering out from the surrounding woods.

Damon turned to glower at her while Elena tried to catch her breath.

"Or you could go find someone else to annoy," Damon responded sourly.

"Hey, it's not me you should be worried about. When I took off to get a _bite_ I ran into Stefan. He seems pretty sure you're somewhere in these mountains."

Damon muttered explicatives before guiding Elena back towards the house.

"You know, it would be nice to have a weapon when Klaus comes to town to kill all of us," Katherine called after them.

Damon halted in place and whirled to face her.

"Eavesdropping?"

"A little. If you don't go after that weapon, I'll do it myself; granted it might take longer without the directions."

"What makes you think there even is a weapon? If there was, Mikael probably found it centuries ago, which means the cave will just lead us to Mikael," Damon explained, growing frustrated with the subject.

"I'm still going after it, but I could use the company."

Without another word to her, Damon wrapped an arm around Elena's waist and stormed off into the house, contemplating ways to kill the younger Gilbert for bringing along his psycho ex.

"Change of plans, Stefan's on his way here," Damon informed the room.

"There's a lot of us here; we could probably take him," Alaric suggested.

Elena shared a look with Damon, who nodded, and shared their next revelation.

"Katherine's planning on going after the weapon in the cave."

"We have to stop her, if she finds it and uses it against Klaus… it will kill you, Elena" Jeremy argued from the bedroom doorway.

"If there's even a weapon to be found," Damon muttered.

"I think we should find it first," Elena began. Damon shot her a dark look but she ignored him and continued. "Klaus needs to die, killing him is Tyler's only hope. Grams said there might be a way to break the connection, right?"

All eyes turned to bore into Bonnie, who still looked too broken-hearted to respond, but she nodded.

"Well then-," Elena began, but Damon cut her off.

"Wait, what if we can't break the link between you and Klaus; don't tell me you're planning another kamikaze mission?"

"Either way, we have to find it before Katherine does," Alaric interceded. "If she finds it first, she'll use it to kill Klaus, no matter what the consequences are for Elena."

Damon had to admit he had a point. But even if they found it and hid it from Katherine, that still left one wild card.

"We need to find Mikael. He can't be allowed to kill Klaus either."

"We'll find him," Caroline spoke up.

"I appreciate the spunk Blondie, but this is a powerful original we're talking about; you wouldn't stand a chance," Damon clarified.

"You didn't fair too good yourself. Besides, I wasn't planning on going alone; you'll come with me, right Bonnie?"

Bonnie once again only nodded, but seemed a little more lively now.

"Alright then, I'm going with Damon and Elena to find this cave. The rest of you go with Caroline, but be careful," Alaric instructed.

"What about Katherine," Elena asked, knowing her look-alike vampire wouldn't want to be left behind.

"I'd like to see her get there first without a car," Damon jabbed.

"Oh wait, I almost forgot…" Alaric dug through his bag and retrieved four identical cell phones.

"I think not having a way to communicate was a bad idea, so I bought these. They're blocked so they won't be traced."

He handed one to Caroline and one to Jeremy and kept the other two for him and Damon.

"I've already programmed the numbers into the phone."

"Great, let's go," Damon instructed.

~TVD~

"Are you sure this was a better idea than following Stefan. If he's left to find Katherine there's no telling what his agenda might be," Elijah inquired from his vantage point on the porch. They'd relocated to a house he frequented in Virginia; not far from Mystic Falls.

"He's not essential to the plan. I only needed him to find you."

"And for Rebekah. I wasn't aware the two had met. Funny how an original vampire could fall in love with someone so… young."

Jackie just smiled, but did not comment. She was already well aware of his feeling toward Katerina, mostly due to her resemblance to Juliana, but the two were only similar in appearance. Elena however, possessed her compassion, her same bleeding heart. She knew Elijah was keeping his heart guarded, but it was only a matter of time before Elena broke through, and she wouldn't even have to try.

This was, of course, one of the reasons she couldn't let Elena die. She owed it to her sister to protect her legacy. Juliana never had the chance to see her son grow up, but she would ensure that Elena would, if that was a direction she wanted to take.

"Jacqueline, he's here," Elijah called, pulling himself up straighter as he kept his eyes fixed on the car. Even if Jackie hadn't been capable of reading his thoughts, Elijah's rigid posture would have given away his barely contained rage.

"Keep your head Elijah."

"This man killed my mother and hunted us down for a thousand years; I hope you have a good reason for not letting me kill him."

"Elijah, my son," Mikael called, stepping from the car.

"I am no longer your son; you lost that right when you ripped my mother's heart out!"

Mikael halted his procession and cast sad eyes upon his son. Behind him Rebekah stepped hesitantly out of the car.

"Elijah?" A smile enveloped her face as she ran at inhuman speeds and found herself in his arms, her tears quickly soaking into his shirt. He held her tight while glaring daggers at his father.

"Elijah, I swear, I did not kill my wife," Mikael pleaded.

Elijah was about to tear him down with a series of angry retorts when he noticed Rebekah had pulled away from him, her eyes locked on Jackie, who stood frozen.

"Is he telling the truth Jackie? Jacqueline," Rebekah shouted.

"Yes. He didn't kill your mother… Niklaus did."

Jackie's response was barely above a whisper, but it tore Rebekah to her core. All these years she'd been running with her mother's killer, and she hadn't known. And to think she'd planned to save him!

"He deserves to die," she whispered through her teeth.

"No Bek, there's more to the curse than you realize. The doppelganger is linked to Niklaus through the original curse; killing him will most likely kill her," Jackie warned.

"She shouldn't be alive in the first place," Mikael spoke up.

Jackie stared at him incredulously and turned pleading eyes to Elijah. He wore a horrified expression; although he had been fully ready to sacrifice Elena if need be, he knew now that he'd protect her with his life.

"We can't kill Klaus, not until we ensure Elena's safety."

"You've grown weak, my son."

"Love does not make us weak; it makes us strong!"

With that, Elijah led Rebekah in the house, leaving Jackie and Mikael alone to sneer at each other.

~TVD~

It was the middle of the night when they'd finally made it into Mystic Falls and found the cave in question. Elena and Alaric were exhausted, but they'd all agreed to get this over with and flee Mystic Falls as soon as possible. Entering the cave, they were immediately met with a brick wall.

"Would have been nice if dog-boy could have mentioned the need for a shovel," Damon complained.

"How do we get in," Elena asked, shining her flashlight up and down the wall.

"Just stand back."

To their surprise, Damon took his shirt off and wrapped it around his hand. He waited for them to step far enough away before laying a good punch into the wall. Bricks shattered and fell in and with one more impact, the entire wall caved in. Damon groaned as he removed the shirt to reveal his broken hand, which was quickly healing.

"Let's go."

Damon climbed through first, followed by Alaric and Elena. It was dark and Elena silently prayed not to run into any spiders or snakes… or bats. The cave split into separate taverns and tunnels and they began to fear getting lost.

And then Damon walked into an invisible wall and was halted in his tracks.

"What is it; why did you stop," Elena asked.

"I didn't have a choice. There's some sort of barrier."

Elena moved to press her hand against the barrier, but her hand went right through and she walked past him into the dark room inside the cave.

"I guess it only stops vampires," she muttered as she looked around at the rock walls.

"Elena wait," Damon called, but she ignored him, becoming suddenly engrossed in one of the walls. Alaric joined her and followed her gaze, just as absorbed as she was.

"What is it," Damon asked.

"It's… drawings," Elena explained.

"And writing," Alaric called, stepping closer to the wall for a better look. He studied the markings for several moments before he finally explained.

"I know this language; not well, but most of it. It's names. I believe this one here is Niklaus… Rebekah… Elijah… and this one here might me Henry or Henric… I'm not sure."

"The names of the original family," Elena gasped.

But Alaric didn't answer at first. He was staring at another name on the wall with morbid fascination.

"What is it," Damon asked, growing more frustrated by the minute.

"It's Mikael… but based on the orientation, I think he's the… father."

"Huh, Papa Original," Damon quipped, rolling his eyes and leaning back against the wall. "Please tell me there's more in that hole than just a bedtime story."

"No, that's it," Elena called back.

Alaric dropped his pack to the ground and rustled around until he came back with a very expensive looking camera.

"Who remembers to bring a camera when they flee town," Damon skeptically inquired.

"Hey, this is a three-hundred dollar camera."

Alaric was busy taking pictures while Elena continued to explore the small room with her flashlight. She hoped the story would lead them to an actual weapon, but knew Damon was probably right, it would only lead to Mikael. But then something caught her attention.

She moved closer to the giant rock and felt a cool breeze flow across her face.

Working excitedly, she wedged her fingers between the rock and the wall, pleased to feel the cool air on the fingertips.

"There's something behind this rock! Ric, help me move it."

Alaric joined her and after several tries, they finally moved the rock. It revealed nothing but darkness inside, but based on the moving air, it had to be a big room, with probably an access point to the outside world. Alaric hesitantly stepped in to the room, keeping his flashlight on his feet until he made sure he was on a solid surface.

"I really don't think it's a good idea for the humans to walk into a small dark cave without the vampire," Damon called, thoroughly worried once Elena was out of sight.

"I think we're standing on wood, like a platform of some kind. But it ends right there," Alaric explained. They were indeed standing on a wooden platform and after shining their flashlights to their right, they saw a series of stairs that led down into the depths. Elena whipped hers around and found a sort of column in front of her that filled the center of the cave.

"What is that," she asked.

Alaric reached out to feel the oddity. "It feels like wood, and… is that leaves?"

"It's a tree! But how has it been growing down here in the dark?"

"Magic?"

"Some of us can't get in the exciting room, so could you please tell me what's going on," Damon shouted.

"It's a tree," Alaric called. "I can't be sure, but I'm guessing… a white oak."

**A/N:** Elijah's back! I just loved him too much not to include him. And now Damon can share Elena's feelings… and what is Katherine up to? I hope you like it and thanks to all the amazing reviewers!


	6. Alliances

**A/N:** I just want to quickly thank all the reviewers once again. You guys keep me going!

Chapter 6: Alliances

Alaric sat in his hotel room staring at the rough piece of wood in his hand. In the end, they'd had to make two trips back to the cave. They couldn't cut into the tree with only a pocket knife, so Damon had hiked it back to his apartment to find something more suitable. Once they had what they needed, Damon had caused a cave-in to prevent Katherine from attempting to get at the tree. Just because she couldn't get into the interior room herself wouldn't stop her from compelling someone to do her dirty work for her.

Now all that was left was to decide how to use what they had. Damon was right, they weren't going to try and kill Klaus until they knew Elena was safe. But her life wasn't the only one on the line. Tyler was sired to Klaus, and they couldn't keep him vervained forever. Eventually they'd have to let him go.

Alaric set the wood down and returned to his photos lying haphazardly across the bed. He'd already filled in the rest of the gang on all he'd learned; the original witch who was also the original mother, their transition to vampires, the curse… and how the hybrid had killed his own mother.

Although the story had proved interesting, there was little use he could pull from it. He was suddenly startled from his troubled thoughts by a ringing in his pocket.

"Hello," Alaric answered weakly.

"Ric, its Bonnie. I did a spell using Elena's necklace, hoping it would lead me to Rebekah."

"Did it?"

"I think so; it led us to a house in Virginia, not far from Mystic Falls, but when we got there, it was empty."

"Did you try again?"

"Yeah, and that's why I'm calling. That hotel you're staying at, you said it was just outside of Charlotte, right?"

"Yeah, and?"

"That's where the spell led. I'm pretty sure Rebekah's on her way there, if she's not there already!"

Without saying goodbye, Alaric dropped the phone and rushed from his hotel room to warn Damon and Elena.

~TVD~

Elena was relieved to feel the warm water running down her back and soaking through her hair. It was just what her tired muscles needed. As her body relaxed, her mind was still reeling from thoughts of Damon.

Had she really just confessed her feelings to Damon? And what did that mean for her and Stefan; was she just giving up on him? No. She couldn't give up on Stefan, but if their love was as strong as she'd thought it to be, she never would have fell for Damon.

Damon…

Her thoughts took on a dreamy quality as she remembered that kiss. She'd never felt so much passion and love wrapped into one kiss! How had she been capable of keeping feelings this strong hidden from herself for so long? And how was she even thinking about relationships at a time like this, as she ran for her life?

If she was being honest, she didn't really mind running away with Damon forever. Yes, she would miss Mystic Falls, but she could still see Jeremy and her friends; after all, they were running too. But then she was reminded of why she couldn't just run away with Damon.

Her friends deserved better than a life on the run, and they were running because of her. She couldn't let them throw away their futures for her. But what options did that leave her with?

Shaking her head, she shut off the water and reached out of the shower, grabbing her towel. Once dressed in her pajamas, she exited the steamy bathroom, still toweling her hair dry. She froze at the sight of Damon lying across the bed, remote in hand. They hadn't had a chance to talk since she'd openly shared her feelings with him, and she was a little nervous about sharing a bed with him tonight.

Elena just wanted to take this slow; she still wasn't over Stefan and she didn't want to rush things with Damon. But how could she tell him that when he looked at her with those eyes!

Hesitantly, she sat on the bed beside him, discarding her towel on the floor.

"Anything good on," she asked, but was surprised when Damon switched off the TV and tossed the remote to the floor.

"I have a much better idea than watching boring talk shows."

The look he gave her now was an unmistakable look of hunger, though Elena wasn't sure in that moment what he was hungering for; her blood or her body.

"Damon, I think we should take this slow," she urged, placing her hand on his chest to halt his advance. But her body was betraying her, already wanting him.

"And I'm thinking I can change your mind," Damon whispered, voice low and sultry.

Before she could protest further, his lips were on hers, and instead of pushing him away, she found herself pulling him closer, his desire mixing with her own and pushing her forward. And then she felt the soft mattress below her back as Damon gently hovered over her. Their kisses became more heated and Elena reached down and pulled his shirt up, breaking apart only to lift it over his head.

She ran her hands over his muscled chest, feeling the responding shudder as it ran through his body. His hand was slowly slipping under her own shirt, making its way to her breasts where it stopped to explore. Elena gave a moan of surprise and pulled him closer. Damon trailed his kisses down her neck, stopping just over the throbbing vein in her neck to let his tongue slip out for a taste.

Her body was trembling and Damon's hand slowly left her chest to move down her waist and began to slide her shorts over her hips. If Elena still wanted to take it slow, she knew she'd have to stop him soon, or she wouldn't be able to.

"You might want to continue this once you're alone."

The sudden voice of the intruder caused both of them to jump and their heads to shoot up.

"Elijah," Elena muttered in disbelief. Damon leapt from the bed, placing himself between her and the original while Elena quickly readjusted her pajamas, making sure everything was covered.

"And here we were hoping you were dead," Damon drawled, allowing a note of petulance to creep into his tone.

"I was."

As he responded, the door opened and Mikael strode in behind him, eyeing Damon with contempt. Elena jumped up in an attempt to block Mikael's path to Damon, but Damon was faster and easily kept her behind him.

"Don't look so worried Miss Gilbert. My son here has asked me not to harm your loved ones."

Elena still glared at Mikael warily and tightly gripped Damon's arm.

"Was there a point to your barging in," Damon asked.

"We want your help with Niklaus, to lure him here," Elijah responded, pacing lazily around the room.

"And kill Elena in the process? Sorry, but we already tried that once."

"I'm aware of the consequences to Elena if we kill Klaus, which is why we're trying something a little different."

In response to Elijah's words, Rebekah entered through the open door followed by a dark haired girl who bares a striking resemblance to Elena.

"I'm Jackie; it's an honor to finally meet you Elena."

Jackie gave Elena a warm smile that seemed to ease all of her fears. She felt strangely comfortable with this new vampire, almost as if she was around family.

"Who are you," Elena asked, confused.

But before Jackie can answer, Alaric bursts into the room with a look of dread which turns to terror upon taking in the four newcomers in the room.

~TVD~

Katherine and Stefan stood staring at the invisible barrier in the cave. The cave-in – no doubt crafted by Damon – had caused rocks to fall in on the other side of the barrier as well, so it was no use sending a compelled human in there to retrieve whatever weapon there was.

Luckily, Katherine had much more cunning tricks up her sleeve.

"This barrier was placed here by a very old witch. I can't bring it down without her spell," the witch explained to Katherine. She was young, but very powerful, which was precisely why Katherine kept her around.

"Good thing I brought this."

Katherine pulled a very old-looking book from her bag, with a weathered, brown leather binding, and handed it to the witch.

"Is this…"

"The grimoire of the original witch. I stole it from Klaus back in 1492. Figured if he didn't have the book that contained the curse, he couldn't perform the ritual. Should have anticipated he'd have a back-up."

The witch skimmed through the book until she found the barrier spell and quickly got to work. As they waited, the ground began to shake, as if the very walls were protesting to the use of such magic… and then it was over.

Katherine shared a look with Stefan before cautiously extending a hand towards the barrier. I triumphant smile spread across her face when her fingers went through. She proceeded into the cave, knocking a wall of fallen rock from her path. Stefan followed, glancing around the ancient cave.

"Drawings… please tell me this isn't what we came for," he asked, skeptically.

"Damon wouldn't have brought the walls down to hide pictures."

Katherine extended her senses and was pleased to hear the sound of moving air coming from behind the wall. She moved to the rock in question and lifted the huge rock out of the way with ease. The hole was dark, but her vampire eyes quickly adjusted and the sight before her took her breath away.

Stefan joined her and stared in awe at the giant white oak inside the walls.

"I think we found our weapon," Katherine exclaimed, sharing a dark smile with Stefan before pulling a giant limb from the tree.

~TVD~

"You're the sister of the original doppelganger? Wow," Elena – who was now fully dressed – exclaimed while sitting cross-legged on the bed with Jackie. The others had congregated in Alaric's hotel room, giving the girls a chance to talk.

"Yes. She was amazing, truly the best sister anyone could ever ask for."

"And she died in the ritual for the curse?"

Jackie nodded, eyes clouding over, lost in thought for a moment.

"You're so much like her; she would do anything for those she loved, and she was so compassionate to everyone she met. But she was also very strong-willed, especially when she had her mind made up."

Elena smiled; the girl she was describing sounded so different from Katherine, better. She'd always hated the thought that the same blood running through Katherine's veins also ran through hers, but this Juliana … she sounded like someone she should be proud to be related to.

"There will be plenty of time to discuss my sister. I'd rather talk about you and Damon. You really love him, don't you," Jackie inquired, earning a bright red blush from Elena.

"Yeah, I think I do. I'm just…"

"Scared?"

"Yeah. When I'm around him, I just want to leap into this head-on, but I know that if this turns out badly… if Klaus comes for me… or if I die… how can I lead him on like that. It will only hurt him that much more when he loses me. When he left me that time, with Katherine, it hurt… even though I trusted him to come back to me, it hurt and I realized just how much I needed him in my life. If we jump into this relationship, no holding back, all our feelings exposed… I don't know if I can survive being without him after that."

The tears were streaking down Elena's face by the end and a broken sob escaped her lips. To her surprise, she felt Jackie's strong arms wrap around her in a supportive hug. Elena hadn't even gotten into the Stefan dilemma; there was just so much against them. Damon believed they could just run away, but Elena knew better and as she thought again of losing him more sobs shook her chest.

"It is a scary situation Elena, but if you never let him know how much you love him, you'll regret it forever," Jackie explained, pulling back to stare into her eyes.

"You sound like you've done this before." Elena allowed a hysterical laugh to escape through her tears.

"Many times… with Juliana. We used to stay up late into the night discussing Elijah, and sometimes Niklaus."

"You said they both loved her?"

"Yes, but Elijah was the one. She knew it because even Niklaus, although she cared for him, couldn't break their bond. They were even due to be married before Elijah was turned. Of course, after that our father forced Juliana to marry another, whom she had a child with."

Jackie then looked right at Elena as if she were looking straight into her soul.

"I know you still love Stefan, and a part of you always will, but I can see the feelings you have for Damon. It's the same way Juliana felt about Elijah. He's the one, Elena. Don't let him go because you're scared!"

"How…"

"Telepath, remember?"

The two just shared a smile and with a sudden force, Elena wanted nothing more than to be in Damon's arms. As if on cue, the door swung open and Damon stepped in.

"I hope you're not tired, cause we're on the move again," Damon explained as he shot into the bathroom to start packing Elena's essentials she'd left on the counter.

"Why? Where are we going?"

"Elijah has a house in Virginia. It will be easier to lure Klaus out there."

Elena stood to start helping him pack and when she turned to ask Jackie another question, she found she was gone. Damon made quick work of the bags and before she could catch her breath, they were on the move.

In truth, Elena was growing very tired of being on the road. After her talk with Jackie, Elena was dying to talk with Damon about her feelings toward him, but with Alaric in the car, she knew it wasn't the best timing. Instead, she leaned her seat back and drifted off to sleep.

Damon watched her as he drove, all the while thinking through any way to get her safely away if this plan didn't work, which he was sure it wouldn't. It was hinged on Jackie's ability to remind Klaus of his humanity, but after a thousand years of being emotionally dead, he was sure that was better said than done.

He raised a tentative hand and gentle stroked her cheek, taking in her peaceful expression, well aware that Alaric sat watching his every move from the back seat.

"You two seem to have gotten pretty close," Alaric spoke up in the dark.

"Don't tell me you're still mad about the killing thing, Ric."

"It's something that takes a while to get over; although it seems kind of unimportant now."

"Listen, Ric… I didn't… I shouldn't have killed you. I was pissed off and I lost it."

Alaric stared at the back of his head for a few minutes before his eyes lit up with a dark humor.

"Is that supposed to be an apology?"

"Yeah, I guess." Damon smirked into the rear view mirror, hoping to convey what he could never say. Apologies weren't really his thing.

"It's probably the worst apology I've ever heard… but I accept."

"Good."

Damon stared out the driver's side window to hide his smile. Although he'd never admit it, he loved Alaric like a brother, and he regretted hurting him, but regret never solved anything so why dwell on it.

Alaric finally dropped off to sleep, which left Damon once again driving with only the voice in his head to keep him company. After two nights of no sleep he was getting pretty worn down, but as a vampire he didn't really need sleep, just blood, which Elijah had promised he had at the house. Still, it would be nice close his eyes and let the real world fade away.

After almost three hours on the road, they pulled up to an old farm house in the middle of nowhere. The lights were on, warm and inviting and he recognized Caroline's car in the driveway parked next to Alaric's rental car. Caroline was instantly on the porch, a wary look on her face as she took in the three vampires walking up with Elijah.

"Are we already here," Elena asked groggily. Damon had planned on simply carrying her up to a bed and letting her sleep, but the sudden lack of movement had woken her.

"Yeah, we're here. You can go back to sleep if you want."

"I'm fine."

Once they woke Alaric – which proved to be impossible until Damon pulled him from the car and dumped him on the ground – the trio made their way into the grand sitting room behind the front door.

"This is beautiful," Elena complemented.

"Thank you, I acquired it in the early 1950's. It's always been a quiet place I can return to," Elijah explained, leading Elena into the kitchen where Jeremy sat eating a sandwich.

"I had the kitchen stocked in the hopes you decided to join us."

Elena ran to Jeremy and hugged her brother furiously.

"You just saw me yesterday Elena," Jeremy complained with food still in his mouth, but he returned the hug with the same fervor. Damon joined them in the kitchen, wary to let Elena out of his sight with Mikael and Rebekah in the house. He sat with Elena while she made her and Alaric sandwiches and ate in silence. Once the food was eaten, Elena's head drooped and she nearly fell asleep at the table.

Gently, Damon took her fragile form in his arms and carried her to the first empty bedroom he came to upstairs. He laid her comfortably in the bed and kissed her forehead before climbing in beside her and finding the sleep he'd been longing for in the car.

~TVD~

Jackie stood on the porch the next morning, watching the sunrise. She heard Elijah's thoughts before his footsteps as he joined her.

"Ah, the sun. You still look at it as if it's the first time you've ever seen it," Elijah noted.

"I spent almost nine-hundred years in the dark, never seeing the sun, until Katherine met that witch Emily."

"You knew Katerina?"

"Yes, who do think tipped her off about the curse. I told her what Klaus was up to and helped her and Trevor to flee."

"You… you were the one responsible for that?"

"Don't be so mad at her for running Elijah. She was just a girl who was scared. She wasn't Juliana."

Elijah seemed resigned as he leaned back against the railing, looking out at the trees.

"I kept tabs on her over the years. Every time Klaus got close, I'd warn her and tell her where to run. She had Emily make this ring for me as a gift to show her gratitude."

"I would have protected her," Elijah finally spoke up.

"What about Elena?"

"Niklaus already has enough control over her life; I won't let him affect her anymore. If this doesn't work I plan to contain him somewhere until we can find a way to break the connection."

"And you think you can contain him?"

"Do you really think you can unlock his humanity?"

Jackie only smiled and returned her gaze to the sun, feeling the light warm her cold skin. Another set of thoughts invaded her mind and soon they were joined by Rebekah.

"Are you ready for this," Elijah asked her.

"As ready as I'll ever be. I don't like working with Father."

"I don't trust him either, but I prefer knowing where he is."

"He's the one who tore our family apart, Elijah, no matter what Nik did. Once this is over, I don't want to see him again. I just want my brother back."

"I know Rebekah. And we'll get him back!"

Rebekah seemed comforted for the moment and Jackie took the opportunity to lead her back into the house where they could talk. Elijah remained on the porch staring out at the waking world, mentally preparing himself for the impossible task that lay before them.

~TVD~

_ Elena sat on her couch, watching TV as she did every Saturday morning. She was sure that Bonnie and Caroline, or Matt awaited her that night, but at the moment she was content to sit and watch the cartoons that danced across the screen. _

_ "Elena, you ready for breakfast," her mom called from the kitchen. The smell of eggs and bacon wafted through the room and Elena jumped from the couch, following her nose. She only hoped she could beat Jeremy to the kitchen; he tended to inhale his food rather than eat it._

_ But when she crossed the threshold to the kitchen, it was so dark she could barely see. Once her eyes adjusted, she realized she was in a graveyard, and before her lay her parents grave. There was a gaping hole beside it, reserved for another body and when she read the headstone, she nearly passed out._

_ It read: Elena Gilbert, beloved sister and friend._

_ "We're waiting for you, Elena," her dad called and she whirled around, but saw no one._

_ Tears began streaming down her eyes as she searched the haunting graveyard for her parents, but the more she searched the more lost she seemed. _

_ And then a hand landed on her shoulder._

_ "It's okay Elena, I'm here," Damon said, turning her to face him._

_ "Damon!" _

_ Elena threw her arms around his neck, relieved that she wasn't alone. He wrapped his arms around her in a comforting hug and then let her go._

_ "What are you looking for," he asked._

_ "My parents; I heard them calling, but I can't find them." Her voice was growing hysterical with panic and the tears were threatening to spill once more._

_ "You won't find them Elena. You can't ever see them again."_

_ "What?" _

_ Elena felt her stomach feel with dread and she struggled not to hyperventilate. What did he mean she wouldn't see her parents again? She had to find them!_

_ "They're dead Elena, but you chose to be with me. You won't ever die!"_

_ She was instantly confused, but then it started to make sense. A pain in her gums alerted her to the descending fangs and she could feel the dark veins spread across her face while Damon just smiled back at her with love._

Elena shot straight up in bed, desperately willing her lungs to work.

"Elena, what happened? Are you okay," Damon asked from beside her; his hands going to her face to brush her hair out of the way.

"I… I don't know."

**A/N:** So, tell me what you think! Will Jackie be able to save Klaus, or will he simply take Elena? And how will Katherine and Stefan fit into the scenario?


	7. Done Out of Love

**A/N:** I'm so sorry for taking so long to update! Things just got really busy over the Thanksgiving weekend. This chapter is a little shorter than the others, but I just felt it needed to end where it did. Once again, I really appreciate all your reviews and I hope you'll let me know what you think!

Chapter 7: Done Out of Love

Elena sat in bed, staring into the mirror across the room. The dream was still plaguing her thoughts; it just felt so real… and the look of love in Damon's eyes. When her parents had died, she'd always hoped that in death, she'd be reunited with them. It had been one of the reasons she'd been scared to turn. But why did the idea of spending an eternity with Damon – and seeing that love forever – suddenly seem like the right choice?

"Are you sure you're okay. I think you almost took out my nose when you shot up," Damon asked, trying to cover his worry with humor, as usual. He handed her the glass of water he'd just retrieved from the bathroom and climbed back into bed beside her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It was just a bad dream."

But it was more than that. It was her greatest fear and her sweetest dream all wrapped into one. More than anything, she wanted to talk to Bonnie; to have her bring some sense into this dilemma. But there was nowhere they could go in this house where they wouldn't be overheard. And it might not matter anyway. If things didn't go the way they needed, there wouldn't be a future for her and Damon, mortal or immortal.

"How about breakfast; that should always help," Damon suggested, brushing her hair from her shoulders.

"That sounds great."

Damon smiled, but instead of hoping off the bed, he tilted her head to the side and brought his lips to her neck.

"Hmm, thanks for offering."

"Damon!"

He didn't bite her, but he did leave a trail of ticklish kisses down her neck, making her squirm. He allowed his fangs to momentarily brush her skin, sending a shiver down her spine. And then, before things could get too heated, he pulled back.

"We haven't really talked about the… us… thing, or Stefan…," Damon started, putting off a look of indifference, but the intensity burning in his eyes gave away his indescribable need for an answer.

"And we will, but let's just deal with Klaus first."

That wasn't the only reason Elena had for not wanting to discuss it. The deeper she got into this with Damon, the more she wanted him, and only him, forever. But Stefan would always be her first real love, and she'd never really had that closure she needed for their relationship to be truly over. She'd never officially let him go. And a part of her heart still clung to him.

But she knew Damon deserved better than that; he deserved all of her, not just parts. She knew they couldn't really talk about "them" until she'd dealt with Stefan.

A sudden knock on the door broke into their sanctuary and reminded them of the important task that lay before them.

"Elena? I can't believe you're not out of bed yet," Bonnie called, before bursting through the door. But she froze upon seeing Damon in the bed with her best friend. Her shock soon turned to an icy glare.

"What is _he_ doing in here?"

"Bonnie, I… uh…" But Elena found she wasn't sure how to finish. Instead, she turned heated eyes to Damon – eyes that portrayed exactly how she felt about him – and Bonnie made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat.

"We need to talk," Bonnie ordered, grabbing Elena by the hand and pulling her from the room. Elena followed her down the hall to the room that must have been shared by her and Caroline before Bonnie slammed the door and whirled to confront her friend."

"Bonnie, let me explain-"

"Explain what Elena? You were just in bed with the vampire that abused Caroline, has tried to kill me and your brother, turned your birth-mother into a vampire, tried to turn you, and I could go on and on. What are you thinking?"

"Bonnie, I… I love him." Once again, the words were too simple; they didn't fully express what she really felt, and what she felt coming from Damon.

"Elena, this is Damon. He's not good, you can't be with him; he'll hurt you. I can't watch him hurt you!" Bonnie moved forward to grip Elena's shoulders, forcing her to hold her gaze.

"I know you're concerned, but Damon would never hurt me. He loves me too."

"And what about Stefan?"

"I still need to talk to him, but we both knew things couldn't go back to normal between us… not after everything that's happened. But, Bonnie, I love Damon!"

Bonnie stared into her eyes for a long time, before finally conceded and releasing her grip on Elena.

"Okay, but if he ever, _ever_ hurts you… I will make him wish he'd never been born!"

Elena smiled at her friend and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Thank you… for giving him a chance." Bonnie just rolled her eyes and honestly tried to push all her worry back down.

~TVD~

Everyone stood spaced around the living room, staring at Rebekah as she stared down at her cell phone.

"So I just call him and tell him I have Elena. What if he wants me to bring her to him," Rebekah asked. She was holding her phone out in front of her as if it would electrocute her.

"Explain that you would feel more comfortable if he came to get you. You know he'll do it if you ask him," Elijah reassured, gently rubbing circles in her back.

"He killed her! Why would you think he'd do anything for her," Damon ranted, downing his glass of bourbon.

"He has a temper, but he still loves Rebekah. He'll take care of her." Elijah leveled a glance at Damon that ended the conversation and Rebekah took a deep breath before bringing the phone to her ear.

Before Klaus picked up, Damon motioned for Elena to follow him outside.

"What is it," she asked once they were safely on the porch. But instead of responding, Damon clamped a hand over her mouth and sped through the woods. Within seconds, they were on the other side of the woods standing in a stranger's backyard.

"What are you doing," Elena mumbled against his hand.

"Getting you out here." Damon slowly removed his hand, daring her with his eyes to scream.

"No, I can't leave. I'm part of the plan, Damon; they need me!"

"The plan is never going to work! You think Jackie's gonna dredge up some long lost memories and he'll just flip the switch back on, and then what; he'll paint rainbows and be an advocate for world peace?"

"I think any vampire can get their humanity back if someone's willing to fight for it!" Elena fixed Damon with a pointed look to emphasize her point.

"Not everyone can be helped Elena. And I'll tell what's going to happen. Klaus will come and kill everyone in that house; everyone Elena! Jeremy, Bonnie, Caroline… and me. And then he'll take you back with him and you'll live the rest of your life as a blood bag for his hybrids! Is that what you want?"

"No, of course not! I don't want anyone to die for me… not even you." Elena hesitantly placed her hands on his cheeks and held his gaze, stretching up on her toes to plant a gentle kiss on his lips.

And then, Damon felt the sharp prick of a needle in his neck before he felt the burning sensation of vervain flow through him. Elijah stepped into view, needle in hand and turned sympathetic eyes to Elena.

"No one's going to die for me Damon. I'm sorry, but I just want you to be safe," Elena mumbled through tear-filled eyes. And then he collapsed.

"You'll take him somewhere safe? And everyone else too," Elena asked, holding back the sobs so she could think clearly.

"Yes, this house still has a living owner; Klaus can't enter." Elijah pulled Damon up over his shoulder and carried him towards the new house. Elena watched Damon's limp body as he was carried off, silently asking for his forgiveness. He'd been protecting her even before they were friends and now it was her turn to protect him; she just hoped he'd understand.

Elena followed Elijah into the house, where an elderly woman held the door, after being compelled to invite them both in. Elijah laid Damon on the couch and turned back to the woman.

"You're going to go upstairs and take a nap. You will not open this door for anyone and after I bring Caroline and Tyler, you will not invite anyone else in," he compelled. The woman nodded before ascending the stairs.

"This is for the best, Elena. The less people involved the better."

"I know. It's just hard to do this to him. He's going to be so mad when he wakes up." Elena almost laughed as she thought of the irritated rage Damon would be in when he awoke, but it was an uneasy feeling that was gone as soon as it came.

"If I don't make it out of this… will you tell him I love him… more than I could ever say," she asked Elijah, never taking her eyes off Damon's sleeping face.

"Of course."

After brushing a soft kiss to Damon's unresponsive lips, Elena followed Elijah back to his house.

~TVD~

Everything was taken care of.

All the people who could potentially ruin this plan were taken care of… except for one. Mikael. Rebekah watched her father as he poured himself a drink at the bar in the kitchen. Even though he hadn't really killed her mother, she still didn't trust him. She knew he'd kill her brother the first chance he got. Jackie had already seen the plan in his mind… the stake he'd planned to use on Nik.

No! She wouldn't let him!

"Nik wasn't the reason our family fell apart."

"Oh… well please, tell me who you think in responsible," Mikael instructed, turning to face his daughter with a look of cool confidence that always sent ice cold fear running through her veins.

"We weren't killers, none of us. You put this curse on us Father! Everything that Nik has done was your fault!"

Rebekah almost faltered when the slightest hint of remorse appeared in his eyes, but she knew her father was far too proud to truly apologize for his reckless actions.

"He won't change Rebekah, no matter what memories Jackie brings back in him. He will only cause more pain for this family."

"So you're just going to kill him? Is that the solution?"

"Yes, Rebekah! It is the only solution."

Rebekah took tentative steps towards her father, pleading with her eyes for him to reconsider. But he stood firm, refusing to budge an inch. What had she expected?

"Why couldn't you just love us?"

"I did, but love wouldn't have protected my family."

"Well hate is what tore it apart! Your hatred of Nik."

Mikael didn't respond, just turned to leave the room. But before he could take a single step, a stake – his stake from the ancient white oak – was in his back, piercing his heart. He turned to find Rebekah staring at him with remorseful tears streaming from her eyes.

"I love you Father, but I can't let you kill my brother!"

Rebekah watched as her father dropped to the floor, the stake igniting in red hot flames that spread out to consume his body. She watched as his body turned an ashen gray, but still couldn't move, couldn't breathe… until a set of strong arms enveloped her and carried her from the room.

Jackie sat her gently on the couch and let her cry into her shoulder.

"You did the right thing Bek. He would have kill Niklaus."

Elijah descended the stairs from where he'd been talking with Elena, running through the plan, and the smell of burning flesh assaulted him.

"What happened," he shouted, blurring into the kitchen.

"Father… he's dead!"

Rebekah winced at Elijah's furious tone.

"Elijah, it had to be done. You know he never would have went along with this," Jackie soothed, hoping he would see reason. But he didn't leave the kitchen.

Instead, he knelt by his father as the flames began to recede, and laid a hand on his shoulder, silently forgiving him for all the wrongs he'd done to him and his family. Then he carried him to one of the rooms in the back and covered him with a blanket.

"When this is done, we have to bury him. No matter what he's done to us… he was still our father Rebekah. We will honor him."

Rebekah nodded, wiping at the remaining tears as they fell, and stood to retreat to her bedroom.

"Is Elena ready," Jackie asked; mostly just to pull Elijah from the depressing spiral his mind was currently going down.

"She's scared, but she wants this over."

"You know I'll do everything in my power to save your brother."

Elijah nodded, but seemed particularly edgy. Jackie went into his head, curious as to the source of this discomfort, but he was deliberately forcing his thoughts to trivial matters.

She knew then that he was hiding something, but what?

~TVD~

Damon awoke with a pounding in his head and a soreness that spread through his entire body. He was so tired of waking up like this. He noticed instantly that he was on a couch in an unfamiliar house. Tyler lay on the floor, but no one else was in the room with him. After extending his senses, he could hear voices coming from the second floor. It was Bonnie and Jeremy. He listened harder.

"This is for the best, Jer. It will keep everyone safe," Bonnie was saying.

"She's my sister, Bonnie! She needs us," Jeremy shouted back.

"Bonnie, maybe he's right. I don't like abandoning Elena like this," Matt spoke up.

It started to become clear to Damon then; Elena had distracted him so Elijah could vervain him, and Elijah must have brought them to this house to keep them "safe." Did they really think leaving him in a strange house would keep him away when Elena was in danger?

Quietly, he heaved himself off the couch and sped to the door, silently throwing it open. He recognized the yard and realized he was in the same house he'd been standing beside of when Elijah had attacked him. But if they wanted him safe and out of the way, why leave him so close?

It was too simple, and when he attempted to leave the house, he found out why.

Bonnie had sealed them in. In his anger, Damon landed a strong punch to the invisible barrier and heard the painful crunch when his bones broke upon impact. But he didn't even notice.

"Bonnie," he shouted, before stomping up the stairs, preparing to strangle that witch within an inch of her life.

**A/N:** So, how many of you seriously want to flame Elena now after her, Bonnie, and Elijah conspired to have all her friends locked in a house? It was done out of love, but Damon probably won't see it that way. Hope you enjoyed it and please, let me know what you think!


	8. The Lost Love

**A/N:** I'd like to apologize ahead of time for the lack of Delena interaction in this chapter. They're still separated, but don't worry, they won't be for long! Anyway, I hope you like it and as always, thanks for all the encouraging reviews!

Chapter 8: The Lost Love

Klaus lay back on the plane, champagne glass in hand. He was so ready to have his doppelganger back in his possession. The handful of hybrids he'd created were nothing compared to the army he could have once he had her blood on demand. As always, when he thought of the human, a familiar tug took place in the dark recesses of his heart; a tug that told him he should feel something when he looked into her brown eyes.

But he wasn't a mere human; he was a hybrid, the first of his kind! He'd left his human life behind long ago, and it was a sad memory he never planned on revisiting.

"More champagne, Klaus," a beautiful young hybrid asked as she stroked the back of his hand.

"Why not, my dear." As she refilled his glass, his hand encircled her waist, pulling her closer. He saw the heated look pass through her eyes as he pulled her face to his, but instead of kissing her as she'd hoped, he moved to her ear.

"I'm in the mood for a snack. Go and fetch one for me."

She smiled politely at him, only her eyes giving away her disappointment, and strode towards the back of the private plane to where the "snacks" were kept.

Honestly, this sire thing was not something he had anticipated, but in the end, it had come in very handy. He could count on his new comrades to defend him no matter what – not that he needed defending. The only creature on this earth that had a weapon to challenge him was Mikael and he was starting to believe Damon's rumor about waking him was just that, a rumor.

But still, something about Rebekah's phone call had concerned him. After a thousand years of having her as a sister he could always tell when she was nervous, and he was sure in that moment that she was up to something. Finally, his lovely new hybrid returned with a terrified young co-ed who kept her head down, hiding her face behind a curtain of blond hair.

"Come here my dear; don't be frightened."

Klaus pulled the girl down on his lap and stroked her hair, as if consoling her. She seemed to relax and clung to Klaus' shoulders with a pleading look in her eyes.

"Please don't hurt me," she begged as the tears streamed down her face.

"Oh, it won't hurt for long."

Klaus pulled the long blond hair from her shoulder, placing a gentle kiss just over the throbbing vein. The girl's responding shudder excited him and he turned her face to his before allowing his teeth to poke through, watching her eyes go wide with fear when his turned a demonic yellow and the black veins snaked down his face.

And then, he was tearing into her throat, her screams only adding to the thrill. But soon her pleas died off and he tossed her into the aisle beside him, bored once again. He couldn't wait to get off this plane, his prey tasted so much better after the hunt.

Glancing back out the window, he was pleased to see the Virginia airport looming down below.

"Welcome home."

~TVD~

Damon stared into Bonnie's frightened eyes as he pressed her firmly against the wall by her throat, completely ignoring Caroline and Jeremy's attempts at pulling him off. He was vaguely aware that Matt had grabbed the tall lamp post and was currently smashing it into the backs of his knees, probably hoping to knock his legs out from under him, but he didn't budge.

"Let me out of this house Bonnie," he growled through his teeth.

Bonnie looked as if she wanted to respond, but the pressure with which he held her throat made speech impossible. Damon just glared at her with blood red eyes; his fangs adding that much more menace to his face.

"Let her go Damon," Jeremy screamed, yanking on his hair now, but Damon just shrugged him off, sending him flying down to the ground.

"Damon! Stop!"

Everyone turned to see Alaric standing in the doorway. He marched straight up to the furious Damon and hoped logic would get through to him.

"Damon, if you kill her, we'll never get out of here," Alaric explained, watching Damon's face carefully.

The fury never completely left his features, but they slowly became more human before Damon loosened his grip on the witch's throat and stepped away. Bonnie fell to the ground in a heap and Jeremy and Caroline were instantly at her side. Matt simply backed to the far side of the room, giving the livid vampire some space.

"Breathe Damon, just breathe and come down, alright," Alaric pleaded, but this seemed to have the opposite effect on Damon. He turned his icy glare to Alaric before storming out of the room.

Damon paced the length of the kitchen for several seconds before ripping apart the cabinets, only to come up dry. _This lady seriously doesn't keep any liquor in the house?_

"I already looked; there's nothing."

Damon turned to see Alaric pulling a chair out at the table and dropping into it tiredly.

"How could she be so stupid?" Although Damon's tone was nearly silent, it still shook with fury and after several seconds of simply staring at the granite countertops as if they would hold an answer, Damon slammed his fist down on it, splitting it in two.

"She was just trying to keep us all safe, Damon."

"All she's doing is ensuring that Klaus will take her; it's another one of her kamikaze missions!"

"Look, Elena really trusts Elijah and I'm sure if anything goes wrong with the plan, he'll get her out."

"Trust Elijah? We already tried that Ric, and look how well that turned out! In case you forgot, he screwed us over!"

"And if he wouldn't have, you'd be dead!"

Alaric was desperately trying to calm the homicidal vampire standing before him, before he tore the house apart in a futile attempt to escape, and luckily it seemed Damon didn't have a comeback for his last statement.

Damon hung his head but didn't look resigned yet, just like he was thinking that much harder.

"Ow, my head is killing me." Alaric moved his gaze to the doorway to see a disheveled looking Tyler.

"Where are we," he asked, taking a seat across from Alaric.

"The suicidal doppelganger locked us in a house," Damon deadpanned, before returning to pacing the kitchen.

"What… Elena?"

Damon just ignored him, running a hand through his jet black hair and almost pulling it out.

"Klaus is coming and Elena is just trying to keep us all safe," Alaric explained.

"Yeah, I've had enough of 'being kept safe' to last a lifetime, thanks to Caroline," Tyler scoffed.

Tyler's eyes glazed over with irritation at the thought of his overprotective girlfriend. He still couldn't believe she'd kept him vervained just so he wouldn't go running back to Klaus, no matter how good her intentions.

"Are you seriously okay with Elena being out there in a house full of originals with Klaus coming to take her away forever," Damon asked of Alaric, halting in his pacing to slam his hands down on the table.

"No, I'm not. But I've already tried everything to get us out here and unless Bonnie changes her mind, we're stuck."

Damon turned and punched the wall, his fist flying right through and proceeded into the living room, collapsing on the same couch he'd woken up on.

There had to be a way out of here, and he would not stop trying until he succeeded!

~TVD~

Elena sat in the middle of the bed, clutching Damon's jacket and running her hands over the smooth leather. She felt awful for betraying him, but it was the only way she knew to keep him safe. Damon would do anything to protect her, but he couldn't keep his mouth under control, and once Jackie got inside Klaus' head, the plan hinged on helping her keep up the illusion. Elena was sure Damon's mouth would get him killed.

"My I come in?"

Elijah poked his head in, but waited for her response before continuing. Elena just nodded and he came to sit on the end of the bed across from her.

"He will forgive you… eventually."

"I know," Elena replied, looking up into his understanding face. But, though she said the words, she could feel an anger rising in her that wasn't her own, knowing even over the distance that it belonged to Damon, and she doubted that forgiveness would be easy.

"I need you to do something for me."

Elijah's voice was so quiet, she almost didn't catch it, and she wondered what he needed her to do that had to be kept from everyone else in the house. He placed a box on the bed and she recognized it instantly.

"The elixir," she whispered, watching as he opened the box and confirmed her suspicions. "How did you even get it; wasn't it left in the boarding house?"

"That doesn't matter. I need you to drink this," he explained, removing the stopper and handing her the vial.

"What… why? Without a weapon to kill Klaus, I'm not in any danger." The thought flitted through Elena's mind that they might threaten to kill her to make Klaus cooperate, but she just couldn't see Jackie doing something like that… although Rebekah was another story.

"Let's just say I want to be prepared for anything. Go ahead."

"But wouldn't it be better to save this for a situation where we know I'll need it?"

"Elena, please, just drink it!"

After a moment of staring at the intensity on his face, Elena brought the vial to her lips and drained it… and then sputtered and almost spit it right back out.

"Well, what did you expect a 500 year old elixir to taste like," Elijah chuckled.

"That was disgusting!"

"At least I know you'll be safe."

With that, he rose from the bed and extended his hand.

"We should get downstairs, Niklaus will be arriving soon," Elijah instructed, helping her off the bed and then holding the door open for her.

Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, Jackie was waiting for them. At first she smiled, but then her look turned speculative as she looked between the two of them and Elena was sure she knew what Elijah had given her. But she never inquired about it and after a suspicious glare to Elijah, she took Elena's hand and squeezed it.

"Are you ready for this," Jackie asked.

"I have to be, don't I?"

"When Niklaus gets here, Elijah and I will be out of site, so it will just be you and Rebekah at first."

"Oh, goody; quality time with Elena," Rebekah drawled, sitting with a huff on the couch.

"Rebekah… this was your idea. You might show a little gratitude to Elena for helping," Elijah reprimanded with an amused smile. Elena smiled herself as she saw the overprotective brother coming out in him. Rebekah only rolled her eyes.

"I'm just impatient; I mean where was he flying from anyway… Timbuktu?"

Elijah held in a laugh, knowing that would only enrage his sister, and turned back to Elena.

"I won't be far, and at the first sign that things aren't going to plan, I'll run you straight to Damon so you and your friends can escape, okay?"

"What about the three of you," Elena asked, looking to Jackie in particular. She might not be her real sister, but she'd done nothing but look out for her since they'd met and she hated to think of leaving her behind to face Klaus.

"Don't worry about us; we know how to take care of ourselves," Elijah assured her.

And then, the three vampires snapped into attention and turned to the door. Elena strained her ears but heard nothing at first, and then the sound of tires coming to stop in front of the house reached her human ears.

In a blur, Elijah and Jackie were gone and Rebekah was at the door, throwing it open for Klaus.

"It's about time!"

"It's nice to see you too sister." Klaus' eyes found Elena immediately and then continued to survey the house.

"Where's Damon, I had hoped to rip his head off myself?"

"He's taken care of. Sorry you missed the fun," Rebekah smirked. Klaus stared at his sister, coming closer until he was only an inch from her face.

"Are you telling the truth Rebekah? You see, when it comes to this girl, Damon just won't die and I'm afraid I'll have to see his body myself before I believe you."

"I'll take you to him, but can we take care of _her_ first. She's been quite annoying these past couple days."

Klaus returned his attention to Elena who was using every ounce of self-control to keep from bolting out the door. After everything he had put her through, she was more terrified of him than ever and looking him in the eyes now felt like staring down the devil himself.

"Is she telling the truth? Is your lover really dead?"

"Yes." Elena's voice trembled and she fought to keep from shaking. In a flash, Klaus was in her face, running a hand over her cheek.

"Are you sure?" She recognized the dilation of his pupils, knowing that he was compelling her, but thankfully her new condition still kept her from being susceptible to his mind control.

"Yes."

Klaus' intense stare turned into a look of pure triumph that nearly made Elena sick. And then, she felt something take control of her, and she knew Jackie was in her head.

"Niklaus." She felt herself say his name with elation, and her face took on a look that she would never reserve for him… a look of love.

At first, Klaus just stared at her, but as his eyes fell deeper into hers, he slowly backed away.

"I can't believe it's really you." It felt so weird for the words to leave her mouth without her consent, but she didn't fight it, knowing that would only ruin everything.

"What are you doing? Why are you looking at me like that," Klaus yelled, still backing away.

"It's me Niklaus." Of its own volition, Elena's body moved forward and a hand reached out to cup Klaus face, caressing his cheek.

"Juliana?"

Elena watched as Klaus' icy façade slowly faltered, his vampire nature clearly warring with his memories of humanity.

"How are you here? I watched you die… in Elijah's arms. You can't be here!"

"How could any of us be here if not for magic?"

Klaus no longer backed away; instead, he took a tentative step forward before bringing his hand up to her face, mimicking her caresses.

"Why?"

"I'm worried about you Niklaus. The man I knew, he wouldn't do this; he wouldn't be so cruel. You must stop!"

At first, Klaus didn't seem to hear her; he just stared in her eyes and in that moment, he actually looked human, and Elena caught a glimpse of the man he used to be… the man he could have been if he would have been allowed to remain human. He looked almost… wholesome.

"I can't stop, Juliana. I've lost you; I've lost everything! I need this."

"Niklaus, please… for me."

"Why do you still care for me? You made your choice; it was Elijah… and I killed him. I killed the man you love, Juliana! Why are you so worried about me?"

"I did choose Elijah, but I loved you too. You know that."

Elena could see Klaus' humanity clawing its way back in, and then in an instant, the monster fell way completely, leaving a bleeding heart in its wake.

And then his lips were on hers, kissing her with all the passion of a man who's been lost for a thousand years! But when he pulled back… Elena would have screamed if Jackie didn't still have a hold on her consciousness.

His hands moved from her face to her shoulders and his grip became bruising.

"I know you're here Jacqueline! How stupid do you think I am?"

Elena watched as his eyes grew dark, the yellow tint shining through and his horrific smile showing rows of sharp teeth before the door behind him flew open, revealing at least a dozen hybrids standing in the doorway.

"You didn't really think I'd come alone, did you?"

~TVD~

Damon was back on the couch, his head in his hands, contemplating his lack of options. He'd already tried threatening every person in the house, even sending Blondie through a wall in an attempt to convince Bonnie to lift the spell, but all she'd done was given him a witchy migraine before using another spell to trap him in the sitting room, safely away from everyone else.

Why? Why would Bonnie care so much about his well-being to not let him out? Did she really worry about _him_ ruining the plan? It was Klaus they should all be worried about.

"She's doing this for Elena," Caroline explained from the doorway.

"Not in the mood for the heart to heart right now Blondie."

"Well, you're going to hear it anyway! Elena told Bonnie how she feels about you. Do you realize how devastated she would be if Klaus really killed you? Bonnie just doesn't want to see her hurt like that."

"I wasn't planning on fighting Klaus; I was going to get Elena away from here, before he could take her!"

"You can't run with her forever Damon! Klaus will always find you, and eventually, Elena would have to watch him kill you. Elena _begged_ Bonnie to do this. Elijah promised that as soon as things get dicey, he'll bring Elena straight here."

"Yeah, because he's always put Elena's well-being ahead of his plans."

Caroline winced at the sarcasm in his words, knowing they were true… but Bonnie had seen the sincerity in his eyes when he'd promised to protect Elena, and it was enough to convince her.

Suddenly, Damon's head shot up, a look of horror on his face. Caroline stiffened, knowing something must be seriously wrong. He sat like that for a moment, concentrating; he could feel her, Elena. Her fear was so strong that he knew something had gone horribly wrong.

In a second he was on his feet, his body shaking with the rage he fought to contain; he couldn't just sit here, feeling how terrified she was, and do nothing. He had to get to her, now!

"What's wrong? Damon?"

But her voice had taken on a muted quality as his mind searched for a way out. Without hesitation, he lunged for the door, hoping if he hit the barrier with enough force…

He ran, but instead of the concussion he was waiting for, he found himself in the front yard. Looking back at the house, he wasn't quite sure what had happened, but he decided he didn't care. Elena needed him!

He turned for Elijah's house and shot through the woods like lightning.

**A/N:** I hope it wasn't too confusing with the whole Jackie taking over Elena's mind to make her sound and act like the original doppelganger. And don't worry, Jackie isn't out of tricks yet.

oHonHHHHHhhhhhdddjsksnudn


	9. Losing Battle

**A/N:** And now for a battle! I hope it doesn't come across too rushed, and I hope it meets everyone's expectations. Once again, the reviews are super appreciated!

Chapter 9: Losing Battle

Elena watched in fear as the hybrids waltzed through the door and came to stand behind Klaus. Rebekah backed away, but remained close to Elena and Klaus. The hybrids couldn't actually kill her, but that didn't make her any less frightened. And then Klaus clutched his head, squinting his eyes as if in pain. Elena noticed suddenly that Jackie was no longer in her head and tried to pull her arm from Klaus' grip, but it was no use.

"Jacqueline! Come out and face me!"

"Hurts, doesn't it. All those long lost human memories," Jackie drawled as she stepped out from the shadows. Unlike Rebekah, Jackie could be killed by the hybrids and Elena was worried for her safety. But it was soon at the back of her mind as Klaus' grip on her arm strengthened and she felt her bones threatening to break.

"You stay out of my head, or I'll make sure Elena's the one who suffers," Klaus growled, a wicked smile lighting his face.

"I'm trying to save you Niklaus. This isn't what Juliana would have wanted."

"Well, she forfeited her right to have a say in my life when she chose my brother."

"You still loved her; can you really hurt her mirror image."

"I already have." To emphasize his words, Klaus increased the pressure on Elena's arm until she screamed out; sure it would break any second.

"Why don't you just let her go, and you and I can settle this," Jackie pleaded, but Klaus made no move to budge.

"Niklaus." The voice sounded just like Elena's, but came from none of them. Klaus scoured the room for its source and finally saw a light just at the bottom of the stairs. The light grew and took form and before his eyes… stood Juliana.

"This is one of your tricks, Jacqueline. I'm really not in the mood for memory lane."

"So angry, Niklaus. It really doesn't suit you," Juliana commented with a happy chuckle.

Elena felt Klaus' grip on her arm ease and could see him faltering as he stared at his lost love. She knew it was only an illusion Jackie was putting into their heads, but she hoped it would be enough to remind Klaus what humanity was really like.

"You'll have to do more than show me a ghost."

As if on request, Jackie entered his head and hit him with a series of memories; of him and Elijah as boys, Rebekah learning to walk with his help, his first kiss, the feel of exertion as he and Elijah raced, and the last… the day Juliana died… and him racing to save her, but knowing he'd be too late.

Elena didn't know what he was seeing, but she could read every emotion on his face. It was a mix of the most heart-breaking sadness with an intense rage… but which would win out? Klaus closed his eyes, taking in all he was "seeing" and when he opened them, he focused on Juliana with a look of such love, Elena was breathless.

"I'm so sorry I didn't make it in time to save you. I did love you Juliana, even after you chose my brother. But you're not here… you can never be here again! You were taken from me; my humanity was taken from me! I know this isn't the man you loved… but this is who I am now. It's time the world paid for all it has taken from me."

The sadness in his eyes finally died, with only pure hate taking its place, and Elena knew they had lost. Damon was right; this could never work. At least he was safe!

With a nod, Klaus ordered his hybrids into action, and they circled Jackie.

"Please, Klaus. If you want me, all you have to do is take me. You don't have to hurt them," Elena pleaded.

"Actually, I'm pretty sure I do," Klaus growled at her, causing Elena to flinch back. She turned back to follow the fight, but they were so fast, just a mix of growls and curses with the occasional cracking of bone.

Every so often, she caught a glimpse of Jackie, but she couldn't be sure. And then she recognized a familiar figure in the mix… Elijah. He pulled the hybrids away from her, removing their hearts or cleaving their heads from their bodies.

Rebekah stood frozen, clearly too traumatized to move into action, and just stood, shaking, as Klaus minions attacked her friend and her brother.

And then, something hit Elena and Klaus from behind, knocking them to the ground and snatching Elena out of Klaus' grasp. Before she could register what had just happened, she looked up into a set of blue eyes and felt Damon's arms around her.

"Thought you could keep me from the party," Damon jibbed, but behind the humor, she could see the real anger in his eyes before he pushed her behind him and shielded her from Klaus.

"Damon? I should have known. At least now I'll get the satisfaction of killing you myself," Klaus threatened, revealing his fangs with the joyous smile he gave.

"Damon, you can't fight him," Elena pleaded, gripping his arm and refusing to let him go. This was exactly what she'd feared, Damon taking on Klaus, and she was shaking with the fear that he would die in front of her.

"She is right. Although I really am hoping to draw out your death, after all the trouble you've caused me." Klaus' eyes showed not an ounce of fear as he slowly advanced on Damon, clearly waiting for him to make the first move.

Damon's eyes darted to the door and back; he knew he'd never make it with her before Klaus caught him. Instead he shifted his stance into more of a predatory crouch and backed up until Elena was up against the wall before lunging for the hybrid.

~TVD~

Jeremy watched Bonnie as she probed the invisible barrier with her hand, trying to find a weakness in it, but there was none. Honestly, Jeremy could care less about how Damon had gotten out; all he wanted was to be out there protecting his sister and now he feared he'd go insane with waiting.

"It's solid. There's no way he could have gotten through," Bonnie finally said, dropping her hand and turning to face them.

"I'm not lying Bonnie! He just took off like it wasn't even there," Caroline shouted.

Bonnie just stared at the doorway confused; it didn't make any sense.

"Who cares what happened! We should be out there too," Jeremy yelled, ready to try and bust out himself.

"You can't fight him, Jeremy. None of us can," Bonnie soothed; softly rubbing his shoulder in an effort to calm him, but he only shrugged it off.

"Jeremy, you should listen to her," Anna pleaded.

"Not now Anna."

Bonnie stiffened instantly at the mention of Anna, but didn't comment while he was already so upset.

"Bonnie, I know this was just to keep as many of us safe as possible, but maybe Jeremy's right," Alaric reasoned.

"I don't like sitting here waiting any more than you do, but Elena begged me to protect everyone. And I agree with her; going out there would just get everyone killed."

"But not going out there could get Elena taken and Damon killed," Jeremy yelled, once again edging towards the door.

"You're staying here, Jeremy! If anyone's going out there, it'll be me," Bonnie instructed firmly.

"No! I'm going too! She's my sister Bonnie!"

"Which is exactly why you shouldn't go. You're not thinking straight as it is." Bonnie moved towards the stairs to retrieve what she would need for the spell to lift the barrier long enough for her to get out. She wasn't exactly sure how she would keep everyone from rushing after her; maybe she would search for a spell to put them all to sleep.

"Uh, guys… I think that lady's waking up, and I don't think she'll be too happy about what Damon did to her house," Tyler interceded, staring warily at the ceiling.

"Then compel her or something," Bonnie instructed, already climbing the stairs.

But Alaric ran up and caught her arm. "Wait, I'm coming with you."

"Ric, you know why that's a bad idea. You've taken on vampires before, but nothing like Klaus."

"And you think you can do it?"

Bonnie was about to continue her protests, but Alaric beat her to it, addressing everyone in the room.

"I'll go with Bonnie to check things out; if it's bad, I'll send her back to get the rest of you. Things could actually be fine."

Bonnie wanted to tell him no, but after seeing how well everyone accepted this – except for Jeremy – she nodded her head and began ascending the stairs again.

"Hello," came the quiet voice of the elderly woman, who was now at the top of the stairs. Bonnie gave Tyler a pointed look and he rushed up the stairs. Once Bonnie had left the room, Jeremy was still too furious to even sit down. His hands were literally trembling with anger as he stared at the door.

"Hey, listen, I know you're worried about her," Matt began, moving to stand beside his friend. "But Damon's with her. As much as I don't like him, you know he won't let anything happen to her. He'll get her out."

This, at least, seemed to have some effect on him as he slowly relaxed. Matt was right, Damon loved his sister, and he would do anything to save her.

~TVD~

Damon was holding his own pretty well, but that could be due to the fact that Klaus had wanted to prolong his death. He managed to evade the hybrid's grasp and lay a few good hits himself, while always keeping Elena behind him. Her eyes never strayed from Damon, even though he often moved faster than her human eyes could follow.

She knew he was fighting a losing battle, but what could she do? She suddenly recalled what she'd done when Elijah had come for her; she'd threatened herself to keep her friends safe and to distract him so she could kill him. But she'd never make it to the kitchen to retrieve a knife with all this fighting, and even if she did, Klaus could probably stop her if she tried.

Elena glanced around futilely for anything she could use to turn the odds in Damon's favor when she heard a scream of pain. Her head shot up and she realized it was Jackie, who'd just been bitten by one of the hybrids. Elijah pulled it off of her and quickly disposed of it.

That's it, the hybrids! If she could just distract the hybrids… make them come after her instead… it would help Elijah and Jackie to pick them off that much easier, leaving only Klaus for all of them to fight.

Her mind worked fast, she still had a scab were Damon had bitten her just a few days ago. She quickly pulled her hair back and scratched at the wound until it re-opened. Taking advantage of Damon's distraction, she made a run for an open area and called attention to the hybrids, letting the blood trickle down her neck.

The response was instantaneous; the five hybrids that were left forgot completely about Elijah and Jackie and began advancing on Elena with the blood-crazed eyes of a young vampire.

Klaus became distracted as well, when he heard the hybrids' hungry growls, and it gave Damon the opportunity to land a well-placed kick, sending Klaus flying into the wall, taking part of the kitchen doorway down with him.

But when he searched for Elena, his dead heart was nearly ripped into at the sight of the hybrids advancing on her. With the aid of Elijah and a wounded Jackie, they made quick work of three of the hybrids, killing them in seconds due to their preoccupation with Elena's blood.

Klaus recovered quickly and called the remaining two hybrids to order. At the word from their sire, they immediately backed down and ran to flank him on each side.

_Three against three_, Damon thought to himself. _At least that's better odds._

Damon, once again reached to shove Elena behind him, planning to keep her in sight this time, while Elijah helped Jackie back on her feet. Elena caught sight of the nasty wound on her right arm and she seemed already weary. She searched frantically for Rebekah, but the original was backed up against a corner, watching her brother advance on them.

Even with the even numbers, Elena knew it was a losing battle; Klaus would take out Damon and Jackie eventually, and then his hybrids would distract Elijah while he got away with her. And there was nothing she could do.

Just as Klaus was ready to attack, the hybrids dropped, gripping their heads and wailing in pain. All heads turned to see Bonnie coming through the door, followed closely by Alaric who had crossbow in hand. Klaus attempted to rush Bonnie, but Elijah cut him off, sending both of them crashing into the stairs.

With a nod to Bonnie, Damon was prepared to make his escape with Elena, when Klaus sent a piece of banister flying through the air, hitting Bonnie in the side of the head. Alaric rushed to her side as the two remaining hybrids picked themselves up off the floor.

Luckily, Alaric found a pulse, meaning she wasn't dead at least. He aimed his crossbow at the first hybrid and pulled the trigger, aiming for the heart. But the hybrid was faster, easily catching the well-aimed arrow.

Elijah was back on his feet and between the four of them, Klaus and the hybrids were surrounded, but that wouldn't last long, and Damon afforded one last glance at Elena as he prepared to fight a losing battle.

"Mind if I join the party," Stefan called, strolling through the front door and moving to stand between Damon and Klaus.

"Ah, Stefan, just in time. I'm afraid I'm going to need you to kill your brother," Klaus ordered; smiling at this knew turn of events.

"Oh, I did come here to kill someone, but it's not him." Stefan turned his gaze to Klaus, smiling wickedly at the stunned original.

"You're freed from your compulsion; I assume this is your work Jacqueline."

Jackie only nodded, mimicking Stefan's defiant grin.

"And how do you plan on killing me Stefan? Have you found my long lost father? Or do you just plan on staring me to death?"

Stefan just glared at him, the smugness radiating off him in waves, and Klaus motioned for his hybrids to attack. But just when they moved forward, Klaus shrieked, a stake protruding from the front of his chest.

"Miss me," Katherine asked, stepping out from behind him.

Her aim was true, right through his heart, but the next cry of pain didn't come from him… but from Elena. Damon whirled around to see her clutching her chest and he pulled her into his arms. No one knew if Klaus burst into flames as his father had, because all eyes were on Elena as she collapsed into Damon.

He was locked into her eyes, refusing to let her leave him… and then he slumped over as well, clutching his chest… sharing her pain.

And then they both collapsed on the floor, limbs still entwined.

Elijah rushed to their side, hybrids forgotten, and Stefan rushed to crouch over him, sharing a look as Elena's heart slowed to a stop.

All they hoped was that the elixir would be enough to bring her back… and Damon too.

~TVD~

_Flashback_

_Elijah stood on the porch, watching Rebekah complain about their father, while Jackie tried to reassure her. Rebekah seemed comforted for the moment and Jackie took the opportunity to lead her back into the house where they could talk. Elijah remained on the porch staring out at the waking world, mentally preparing himself for the impossible task that lay before them. _

_ When suddenly, he felt he was not alone._

_ "I didn't think we'd be seeing you again."_

_ "I know, surprising, isn't it," Stefan called, as he stepped out of the trees._

_ "To what to I owe this honor?"_

_ "I came to warn you… Katherine's planning something."_

_ Elijah didn't respond, just eyed him speculatively, stepping down from the porch to confront him._

_ "Katherine has a weapon to kill Klaus, so I brought this," Stefan explained, handing Elijah a small wooden box._

_ "The elixir?"_

_ Stefan nodded, and then turned back towards the woods._

_ "Why not just stop Katherine?"_

_ "You've known her longer than I have Elijah; you know there's no stopping Katherine. Wouldn't it be better for her to kill him when we're expecting it?"_

_ Elijah eyed him for a moment before letting out a small chuckle. "I thought you'd switched off your humanity?"_

_ "Apparently, there are some emotions that just won't stay gone."_

_ With that, Stefan sped into the woods, leaving Elijah standing with the box that contained Elena's last hope._

**A/N: **So apparently, Stefan isn't so far gone after all. And to clear up any confusion, Damon was affected when Klaus was staked because of the connection between him and Elena. What will become of our favorite couple?


	10. Choices

**A/N:** Well, only one more chapter after this one. I really want to thank everyone for reading and offering reviews; your encouragement really pushed me forward!

Chapter 10: Choices

Elena awoke, feeling oddly calm and peaceful. She tried to remember how she had gotten here… she remembered the fight… the hybrids… and Klaus. Katherine killed Klaus! She shot halfway out of bed and began looking at her room with new eyes. It was filled with all the toys from her childhood; the Barbie house in the corner, the baby dolls on the floor. It was the way her room had looked as a child, and it was remarkably clean.

"What the…"

And then a movement on the bed beside her drew her attention.

"Damon!" She immediately threw her arms around his neck, relieved to see him in this crazy dream she'd found herself in.

"I didn't picture you as the baby doll type," he chuckled.

"What happened? I remember the fight, and then it felt like… felt like I was… dying." She nearly choked on the last word.

"You did."

"But why am I here," she asked, sitting up straighter to examine her room.

"Not sure, guess it's just some memory inside that pretty head of yours."

A thought occurred to her then, but she was almost too scared to ask it, fearing its answer as her body suddenly felt it was being torn in two. It wasn't a painful feeling, just uncomfortable… and a little scary. Damon seemed to already know her question, feeling her emotions before she made them known.

"No, the elixir isn't working."

Elena stomach filled with dread, but also with resignation. She'd known it was only a fifty-fifty chance. She swallowed the lump that had risen in her throat and asked the obvious question.

"Am I dying?"

"No, I'm not letting you," Damon exclaimed, a fierce smile spreading across his face.

"What do you mean?"

"Apparently, our connection is stronger than magic. I can't bear to let you die. I love you too much, Elena!"

"But how?"

"I'm not sure, I felt the same pain when I saw you collapse and I knew I could follow you… and bring you back. But only if you want me too."

As she stared into his sad eyes, she knew she had a choice, but this time, he wasn't making it for her. She could tell, even without using their connection just how much pain the thought of losing her was causing him and she wanted to leap up and promise him that she would never leave him.

But then, a familiar voice from behind had her stunned into silence.

"Elena."

"Mom?" Elena turned to see her mom standing just inside her room with tears in her eyes. Without a second thought, Elena launched herself off the bed and into her mother's arms.

"Its okay, honey," her mom assured her soothingly. A hand on her shoulder had her raising her head and looking directly into her father's eyes.

"Daddy." Her mom released her and she was immediately engulfed in her father's strong arms as he softly stroked her hair.

"I missed you so much," Elena sobbed.

"Oh, I know sweetie, but you've done so well," Miranda promised.

"But you have to make a choice, and it has to be for yourself," Grayson explained, finally releasing her to look her in the eyes.

"I…," but she didn't know what she wanted. Part of her wished for nothing more than to take her parents' hands and be with them forever. But another part of her – the part that was practically screaming – couldn't just leave Damon, or Jeremy, or any of her friends.

They needed her. And she needed them.

Tentatively, she turned her gaze from her parents to Damon, who stood back, his eyes intense as he watched her. She knew it was taking every ounce of self-control he possessed to remain silent and let her make this decision for herself. She reached back quickly to squeeze his hand and give him a small smile before turning back to her parents.

"I love you both so much… but I have to go back. I want to be there for Jeremy and my friends… and I want to be with Damon."

As the words left her mouth, she knew she was making the right decision. Her parents didn't raise her to simply give up on her life; they taught her to fight for it. And that was what she had to do now.

"You're and amazing woman, Elena," Grayson encouraged, pulling her into one more hug.

"You need to know that we love you, whether you stay human or become a vampire… we love you. Just don't ever forget who you are, Elena." Once Miranda had finished, she kissed her head softly and in seconds, they were gone.

"Are you sure," Damon asked, walking up and gently caressing Elena's cheek.

Instead of professing her love, she simply stretched up and kissed him with every ounce of passion inside her. The sensation of her body being pulled in separate directions ceased and she felt whole again.

Damon lifter her up and brought them back down on the bed, nestling Elena against his chest. She laid there, content to never move again as he stroked her hair.

"Enjoy this, cause when we wake up, you're in a load of trouble," he promised.

Elena just chuckled and snuggled against him.

~TVD~

Damon and Elena had been out a long time. Elijah had re-positioned them in the hopes of making them more comfortable, but it had been hours. The elixir should have worked by now. And he had no idea why Damon was so strongly affected.

He stood beside Klaus' burned body now, consoling a still frightened Rebekah.

"I'm so sorry. I should have helped. I just wanted it to work so bad; I wanted him back," she sobbed, turning her face into Elijah's jacket.

"I know."

Bonnie sat, leaning into Caroline, with a bandage on her head, never taking her eyes from Elena. She'd poured through every page of the grimoire looking for any way to help Elena and coming up empty. She no longer possessed the kind of magic she'd used to bring Jeremy back and after bringing down the barrier to release the other's from the house, she was left especially weary.

Caroline held her tightly, though she was just as scared and frantic as Bonnie for Elena to breathe. Matt was currently in a state of shock over the girl he would always love in some way and he sat on the couch, Tyler's hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

Jeremy was the hardest to watch. He never let go of Elena's hand or took his eyes from her face. He spoke to her in hushed tones, begging her to come back, to not leave him alone. She was all he had left and he couldn't lose her! The tears ran silently down his face as he held on to her, willing her eyes to open.

Stefan sat across from him, beside Damon. He'd known Elena could die and had taken every precaution he knew to give her a fighting chance, but Damon… he hadn't anticipated this. His emotions, the ones he thought he'd buried so deep, were now fighting their way back in as he watched his brother and the girl he still loved dying in front of him.

Alaric stood watching over them all. He knew that somehow, Elena had become central to everyone in the room; for so long, she was their purpose. What would they all do if she was really gone? He hated to admit it, but in his mind he was already searching for ways to put everything back together again, knowing everyone would be looking to him for answers.

"Uh, guys, I think Damon just moved," Stefan called, resulting in everyone rushing over to the unconscious couple; even Jackie rushed out of the bathroom where she'd been bandaging her arm.

As they watched, his arm twitched and then, slowly, his eyes eased open. Stefan held his breath, afraid that the smallest sound might reveal it to be a dream. Without focusing on the faces surrounding him, Damon reached over, feeling the ground until he came into contact with Elena's arm, and then continued down to her hand.

In response to his touch, Elena eyes shot open and she sucked in a deep long breath. In a second, Jeremy pulled her up into his arms in a fierce hug, but she never let go of Damon.

"I thought you were gone for good," Jeremy sobbed into her shoulder.

Elena cried with him and brought her free hand around his neck to hug him back. Soon they were bombarded with friends wrapping them in hugs and planting kisses on Elena's head.

"Damon," Stefan finally asked.

"Relax Stefan, you're not rid of me yet," Damon joked, but still gave his little brother a smirk. "I take it you're the one responsible for the elixir?"

"Sometimes you just can't fight your humanity. For a while, we thought it didn't work."

"It didn't," Elena responded, turning back to smile at Damon and give his hand another squeeze.

"But how…," Bonnie asked, staring from her best friend to Damon.

Elena answered, never taking her eyes from Damon's face. "Apparently, our connection is stronger than magic."

Damon finally sat up just to pull Elena in for a kiss, reveling in the feel of her soft lips. He was trying to be strong before, but he knew he never could have lived without this.

But then he felt her emotions change to guilt and her eyes shifted over to Stefan who sat watching. Damon felt his heart prepare to break, fearing who she would choose now that Stefan was free. Reluctantly, he let her hand slip from his, but couldn't resist kissing her one more time before standing and making his way to the kitchen.

"I'm guessing we need to talk," Stefan inquired, his eyes at odds with the nonchalant tone of his voice. Elena just nodded and let him help her up, noting that his touch didn't cause the butterflies in her stomach that it used to.

"Elena," Jeremy called, catching her shoulder. "Be quick."

She smiled at her brother and followed Stefan out the front door with Rebekah watching the whole way.

"I'm, uh… glad you're okay," Stefan started, voice still devoid of emotion.

"Stefan, I… Thanks for trying to save me."

"Elena, I know what you want to say… but I don't know if I'm ready to feel again, to let go of this freedom. There's a part of me that still loves you… that will always love you, but…" He didn't know how to finish. The vampire in him wanted nothing more than to drain her dry just for making him feel anything… but there was another part, a part that still prayed she'd take him back, even after all he'd done.

"Stefan, there's a part of me that still loves you too, and I'll do whatever I have to in order to bring your humanity back, but… I can't be with you Stefan. After all of this, I discovered something… something I think I knew all along. I love Damon."

Elena felt a warmth spread through her at the truth of those words, and it was a feeling that made her whole again, after all the loss she'd endured… Damon held her together.

"You two deserve each other," Stefan nodded, turning as if he was ready to bow out of their lives.

"Wait," Elena called, gripping his arm. "Damon needs you Stefan, and I need to see you whole again. Please, let us help you; don't leave!"

Stefan stared deep into her brown eyes, ready to tell her thanks, but no thanks, until he caught sight of the blond stepping cautiously out the door.

"Stefan," Rebekah whispered. "I want you to stay too, and I'll do whatever it takes. Please."

Something inside him lurched as he watched her, something fighting to break free. If he stayed, he'd have to let in more than just love and happiness. There would be pain, especially where Damon and Elena was involved. But would it be worth it?

"I'll try," he promised her, and Elena backed away as Rebekah ran into Stefan's arms.

~TVD~

"So, should I get packed for home, or are you planning to shoot me up with vervain again," Tyler asked as he approached his girlfriend.

"Tyler, I'm so sorry, but I had to. You were like, Klaus' little puppy or something, and he would have came to take you away, and I wouldn't have ever seen you again. I was saving your life, Tyler! And besides, if I hadn't you would have put up a fight to follow to Klaus, and let's be serious, I would have won, but I didn't want to hurt you and–"

But before she could continue her rant, Tyler cut her off with a kiss, pulling her flush with his body.

"Wow," Caroline muttered.

"You're not off the hook." Caroline laughed and pulled him back in for another kiss.

Matt sat on the couch, watching his friends with a smile; who'd of thought he'd be okay with them kissing?

"It's amazing how resilient our hearts are when we're young," Jackie commented, coming to join him on the couch.

"Did you just… like, read my mind or something?"

"Sorry; just a habit."

He smiled at the new vampire, slightly concerned at how normal all this was starting to become to him. Turning his head, he saw Jeremy by the door, probably waiting for his sister to return.

"Jer," Bonnie called, approaching him slowly and placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You okay."

"Better than okay. My sister's alive!"

Bonnie smiled and took his hand, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"I know you're still seeing Anna, but I want you to know that… I still love you, Jeremy. And I think we can make it through this. I mean, we've made it through worse, right?"

"Yeah, we have."

Although he shared a smile with Anna, he wrapped his arm around Bonnie, leaving the issues to later.

~TVD~

The bourbon just didn't have the effect it should have as Damon sat alone at the bar in the kitchen. He was trying to tell himself that it was Elena's choice, and that if she chose Stefan, he'd let her go… let her enjoy her life, but he knew that wasn't true.

How could he watch her with him when he knew how amazing it was to have her himself? To see the love in her eyes that was only for him?

"Damon."

The voice was quiet, but filled with a joy that couldn't be hidden, and he slowly turned to see Elena standing in the doorway.

"Let me guess, you and my brother made up and now you'll both be riding away on a rainbow."

Beneath the joke, Elena could feel the real hurt emanating from him and realized he wasn't even trying to hide his feelings anymore.

"Damon, I-"

"I don't need the explanation, Elena. Just go back to your prince charming, and I'll show up at the next crisis."

"Damon," Elena shouted this time. "You really need to learn when to shut up."

He stared at her, confused by her buoyant smile. And then he really looked at her; she was still gazing at him with all the love he could ever need, like he was everything she wanted.

"Damon… I love you, and I choose you!"

For once in his life, he was speechless. All he could do was stare at her and although he could feel the drool running down his chin, he couldn't remember how to close his mouth. She just chuckled at the sight before closing the distance and laying her hand against his cheek.

The warmth of her touch seemed to awaken him from his stupor and since he still couldn't think the words to say, he simply pulled her up to him and kissed her passionately with all the love he'd kept pent up for the last year and a half. He easily lifted her off the floor, bringing her face up to his level as he continued to assault her lips. She wrapped her legs around his waist and was soon gasping for air. He only trailed his kissed down her neck, never breaking contact.

And then, the sound of someone clearing their throat burst into their little bubble, bringing them back to reality.

"Uh, guys," Jeremy started, blushing furiously.

"What is it, Gilbert," Damon asked, thoroughly annoyed with the kid standing before him.

"Has anyone else realized that we just killed the most powerful vampire on the planet… and survived? I think that calls for a party."

"I second that," Tyler called from the other room.

Elena just rolled her eyes before pulling Damon by the hand to join the others.

"Hey, hybrid," Jackie yelled from her place on the couch. "You think you could help me out here." She lifted her arm with the bandage.

"Oh, uh, yeah, of course."

He extended his arm to her, letting her drink until the wound healed and then she pulled back the bandage, revealing perfect skin.

"Now I'm ready for that party."

~TVD~

Elena flipped the light on in the living room as they tiredly returned home… her home!

"Oh, it feels so good to be back," she exclaimed, touching the banister softly and taking in the familiar living room.

"I second that," Jeremy said from behind her, followed by Alaric. Damon was last to enter, carrying Elena's bags. Thoughts of her friends from last night, carefree and full of laughter, still filled her head and she wore a smile that felt permanently etched on her face. It felt good.

"Bed, definitely going to bed," Alaric mumbled before trudging up the stairs. But after two steps, he stopped, turning to wrap both Elena and Jeremy in a hug. "Do me a favor and don't get in any trouble before sunrise."

They both laughed and nodded, but Elena could see the relief in his eyes now that he knew they were safe. He turned and continued his climb followed by Jeremy who simply mumbled a quick "good night."

"I'll carry these up to your room," Damon offered with a seductive smile as he made his way to the stairs. Elena felt her stomach drop at the thought of Damon in her room, although he'd been there a hundred times. It was different now, and she wasn't sure how to react.

Should she simply kiss him good night and go to bed? Should she ask him to stay? What if he had something more in mind; was she ready for that?

Taking a deep breath, she followed him, walking in just as he was sitting down her bags. For once, he looked just as nervous as she did and he searched her face, hoping to decipher what she wanted in that moment.

"I guess I'll… see you tomorrow," he finally said, though it came out as more of a question.

Elena nodded and reached up to leave him a sweet kiss, but as their lips connected, the passion flowed through them and their connection was blown wide open. The kiss intensified and in a blur, Elena found her back pressed into the mattress.

This time, she didn't feel the need to wait; there was no guilt over Stefan, no thoughts that they were moving too fast. It just felt right, being in his arms, and she found herself wanting more. In a moment of pure need, she reached down and pulled his shirt up over his head, but before returning to her lips, Damon hesitated, staring deep into her eyes.

"Are you sure," he asked her, only barely controlling his own need.

"I'm sure."

That was all he needed to hear and he gently undressed her, reveling in the feel of her soft skin against every inch of him. Everything about that night was perfect and Elena knew it was the best night of her life.

**A/N:** I hope the scene with Stefan and Elena wasn't too rushed; I just wanted to give them some closure. I also wasn't planning on including the scene with Caroline and Tyler, and Bonnie and Jeremy but I just wanted them to have an ending to their own stories. Reviews are very appreciated!


	11. Surprise

**A/N:** Here it is, the final chapter. I want to thank all of you for your support and encouragement; you helped me more than you know!

Chapter 11: Surprise

Elena stood, waiting for her turn to walk up the aisle. Her heels were killing her, but the excitement in the room fueled her pounding heart and the big smile wouldn't leave her face.

"Elena Gilbert," the principal called, and she smiled even broader as she stepped up on stage to accept her diploma. Who would have ever thought she would make it through high school alive?

In the sea of cheering faces, she searched for one in particular… Damon. Jeremy stood on his left, clapping and shouting like an idiot and Damon merely winked as she strode across the stage, flashing her that trademark smirk of his. The loudest shouts were from Bonnie and Caroline, who already had diplomas in hand and were literally bouncing up and down with excitement.

It was the same excitement Elena felt herself; this graduation marked more than just the end of high school and the beginning of college life… it also allowed them to start a new chapter in their lives; hopefully without all the doom and gloom.

"I love you Baby," Caroline shouted as Tyler strutted across the stage, much to his embarrassment.

And then it was Stefan's turn. Even though he'd probably graduated a hundred times, she knew this was more significant to him. These past two years had been the hardest of his existence, but he'd made it. Rebekah and Jackie and been helping him non-stop since the death of Klaus and his humanity was finally starting to peak back through.

Rebekah was next and Elena heard the dignified applause of her brothers. Elijah seemed the proudest for his sister as she gracefully accepted her diploma and descended the stairs. As old as she was, this was new for her and she was enjoying it more than anyone else in the room.

The principal finally finished with the list of names and as the ceremony came to a close, the shouts of the fellow students drowned out his final words.

Just as the hats were thrown, another sight caught Elena's eye, reminding her just how lucky she was to have the chance to enjoy this. In the right corner of the stage was a memorial Caroline had painstakingly put together; it included all the students and friends who had died these past two years, some of whom should have been on this stage with them today; Luka, Dana, Vicki...

Matt had teared up at the sight of his sister's name and Caroline had even included Mr. Tanner on the list of deceased, right after Elena and Jeremy's entire family. But at the bottom were the names most students had never heard; the ones who could have had potential had they been given the chance: Anna, Pearl, Lexi, Rose, Jules, Jonas, Greta, Mikael… and Niklaus.

This celebration, though bittersweet, was allowing them to honor those who'd died and truly let them go.

Elena practically ran from the gym when the ceremony came to a close, but stopped in the hall when the mass of families made it impossible for her to move. And then in a blur, she was across the hall in a secluded corner.

"What the…"

"Guess who."

Elena turned and saw Damon's loving blue eyes staring back at her.

"Congratulations; you actually made it out of high school alive… thanks to me."

"Ha ha," Elena mock laughed, but still rose up on her toes to reach his lips. He pulled her closer, intensifying the kiss which was quickly becoming inappropriate for the public setting.

But Elena couldn't care less.

"You're hogging my sister," Jeremy complained, giving the two a cheeky smile.

Once Elena disengaged herself from Damon's arms, she threw herself at her brother, hugging him fiercely as he stood in for their entire family.

"Congratulations sis! I'm proud of you."

"Thanks Jer."

Elena pulled back and saw Alaric standing just behind Jeremy, clearly unsure of invading their family moment.

"Thank you, Ric… for taking care of us… for getting us through everything." He nodded, but when he still didn't move, Elena ran up and wrapped him in a hug and when she felt the wetness running from his cheek to hers, she realized why he hadn't moved.

Damon was about to commit on his lack of manhood, but the glare Alaric shot his way had him biting his tongue and settling for a humor-filled smirk instead.

"I can actually see the exit doors; we should probably run now," Jeremy joked, moving towards the doors. Damon wrapped an arm around Elena's waist and guided her out with Alaric following.

As the four of them walked into the boarding house together, after stopping to grab Elena some more comfortable shoes, Caroline's graduation party was already in full swing, and Damon was thankful he'd hidden his liquor ahead of time.

"Gotta love a good high school party," Damon yelled to Elena over the music. She just rolled her eyes and turned to see Caroline and Bonnie coming to claim her.

Elena's heart gave a painful lurch when she saw the hurt in Bonnie's eyes as she took in Jeremy. Right after killing Klaus, Bonnie had preformed a complicated spell to help Anna find her mother, allowing her to find peace. Bonnie had hoped that would be a turning point for her and Jeremy, but it seemed the resulting heartbreak from losing Anna had been a lot for him deal with and he'd decided to break up with Bonnie so she wouldn't have to see him pining over another woman. He'd essentially done it for her, giving her the freedom to either forget about him or wait until he was whole again, but Elena knew that losing him had really hurt her.

"Ready to dance, Elena. The DJ is gonna play our song," Caroline trilled, already snatching Elena's arm.

"Uh, yeah." As Caroline started to lead her to the dance floor, Damon's hand shot out and grabbed her arm, staring into her eyes longingly.

"I'll catch up, Care." Caroline huffed and shot Damon a death glare before running off with Bonnie.

"What is it," Elena asked as Jeremy and Alaric went off to mingle.

"I want you to promise me something… after an hour at this party, you'll come find me and we'll go somewhere alone."

Elena pretended to think it through, even giving Damon a doubtful expression before smiling broadly.

"Sounds perfect."

~TVD~

Through the whole dance, Damon never took his eyes from Elena, watching her dance with her friends and laugh at their jokes. She was incredible and he couldn't believe she was actually his! These last few months had been magical – not that they still didn't argue like crazy, but that was just them. They'd disagree and argue and make-up, which often made the fighting worthwhile.

And tonight, Damon planned to just skip the arguing and go straight to the make-up part.

She was everything he'd always wanted and he honestly didn't know how he'd survived this long without her. Every once in a while, as she was talking with someone or getting a drink from the refreshment table, she'd smile at him, her eyes alight with anticipation. They still shared their emotions and it only made the electricity between them that much more intense. He barely registered the party happening around them; there was only her and several times he'd wanted to simply snatch her away and keep her all to himself… but this was her party and she deserved it.

"Nice scenery," Stefan acknowledged, coming to stand beside his brother.

"Is this as weird for you as it was for me," Damon asked, knowing only too well the feeling of watching Elena with another man.

"It was at first, when I let the emotions back in. I'll always love her, but I've never seen her this happy. It's what helped me move on. And… if she has to be with someone else… I'm glad it's you."

Damon just stared at his brother in awe, and not really being the emotional type, didn't know what to say. Stefan seemed to understand and simply clapped him on the back and smiled before moving off.

As Damon swept his eyes off Stefan and back to Elena's direction, he realized she was no longer there. He searched the room, looking for any sign of her in the sea of people, but she was nowhere. _How did she disappear that fast?_

Damon started to grow frantic in his searching until he spotted Caroline stepping back inside through the front doors. She smiled at him knowingly and pointed back to the doors.

Making his way outside, he spotted her easily at the edge of the driveway, gazing up at the stars. He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and placing a kiss to her hair.

"It's beautiful," she murmured.

"I guess, if you go for that stark white sort of thing. I'm more for the dark beauties." He nibbled on her neck seductively, causing Elena to moan at the memory. Damon's hands were all over her and he'd already picked out the perfect place under the stars.

"Wait, I have a surprise," she murmured, breathless.

Before he could change her mind, she took his hand and led him towards his car, which he'd just recently acquired from the man he'd "lent" it to.

"We going somewhere, or did you just want to try out the backseat. I have to warn you, there's not a lot of room," he smirked, seductively.

Her only answer was a smile as she opened the passenger door and motioned for him to climb in.

"You know, the surprise would be that much more enjoyable if I got to drive."

"Not a chance. Now get in," Elena ordered, and Damon sat down on the passenger side, eyeing her evilly.

"So, where we going," he asked when she was seated behind the wheel. But she didn't say a word as she pulled off from the house, turning the radio up and rolling down the windows, letting in the cool spring breeze.

"You know I'll get it out of you eventually," he threatened, already leaning over to tickle her stomach.

"Hey, don't distract the driver," she giggled, futilely pushing away his hands.

"Tell me where we're going."

"To the airport." Damon froze, his hands still on her waist, and stared her down.

"What do you mean, the airport? You bought us plane tickets? Are we in danger again?"

"No, I just thought we could use a real vacation this time."

She took her eyes from the road just long enough to smile at him reassuringly and he was once again speechless.

"Caroline helped; all your cloths are packed and the tickets are in the glove box," Elena explained.

Damon quickly opened the glove box and retrieved the tickets, his smile widening as he saw their destination.

"Italy?"

"I've never been, and you made it sound so beautiful."

"It really is just the two of us? No brothers popping up, no witchy interruptions?"

"Just us."

He leaned over to lay a soft kiss on her cheek and when he pulled back, a pink bag in the back seat caught his eye.

"What's this," he asked, pulling it up in his lap.

"I have no idea. Maybe Caroline left it."

Damon opened the bag and pulled out a sexy, red lingerie set.

"Whoever this is from is getting a big thank you card from me," Damon smirked, sultry eyes roaming up and down her body. Elena blushed furiously.

"I'm going to kill Caroline."

"Wait, there's a card." Damon pulled the card out and his face fell into a wry smile as he read.

"Well, it's not from Caroline," he explained. "'Elena, Damon will love this! Red flatters our skin tone and it's modest enough to pass for your styles. Good luck on the vacation, Katherine.'"

Elena's mouth had dropped open as Damon read.

"Katherine sent us a present," she asked in awe.

"I think this is her way of saying 'sorry for almost killing you.'"

Elena shot Damon a nervous look. "I'm not wearing that!"

"Oh I think you will… for me."

They eventually made it to the airport, lingerie stashed safely in Elena's suitcase, and as the plane took off, Damon pulled Elena in for a kiss, knowing that whatever came at them from here, they would have each other.


End file.
